The Stygian
by Gallian Squad 7
Summary: Ozpin tells of an old legend, where sibling gods created the world of Remnant and it's eternal foes. But, did not some of the elder god's creations survive even once? According to one book, there were some, and they were powerful enough to fight the Grimm to a standstill. But, that's only a story...right? Well, Ruby knows otherwise. After all, she's the Icon of the Stygian.
1. Chapter 1

_"Mommy, mommy!"_

 _A woman turned from her work at the bench, smiling when her two little girls came running up to her. "Yes dears?"_

 _The older of the two thrust a book forward, her dull yellow pajamas rustling together. "Read us the story again!"_

 _Her mother smiled. "Oh, that's a long book. Are you sure?"_

 _They both nodded, one with gold hair, and the other with red-tipped ebony locks, falling down to cover both their faces. Their mother giggled and took the book from the blonde's hands, leaving her work for later. "Alright, if you're sure. Come along, let's get you two in bed."_

 _Her daughters grabbed her hands, and pulled her out of the workroom and up the stairs. Her husband was out on a hunt this week, so the house was all but silent. She paused at the door to the girls' room, smiling as they raced to their beds. A single chair stood between the beds, awaiting its occupant._

 _"You two should have told me sooner," she laughed. "I'd have started reading earlier if you'd told me after dinner."_

 _Her youngest daughter bounced on her bed. "But we didn't know we wanted you to!"_

 _Her mother laughed again. "Alright, alright. Now, I'll start at the beginning, ok? However, I stop when I say we stop."_

 _Her daughters' faces scrunched up at the idea, but they gave in. "Fiiiiiiine."_

 _Their mother rolled her eyes at the simultaneous response. "Ok then, here we go."_

* * *

 _She pulled the book open and took a deep breath. "The story of man is a complicated one, but perhaps the most disputed is how he came to be. This tale has a lesser known, mythical origin."_

 _She glanced to her daughters and found them staring at her, bored. She hid a smirk and kept going. "In the beginning, there were two gods. The elder of the two was a creator of light and life, whilst his younger brother was a destroyer that sucked all into darkness. The eldest created a planet that, on every morning, would be filled with life, and flourish for as long as the sun held in the sky."_

 _She glanced at her daughters again, their faces growing a tad more interested. "However, every night the younger would swallow the world in darkness, and snuff out the life that had grown. This cycle continued for untold ages, before one day, the eldest stepped forward to find a miracle."_

 _She had their attention now. "Some of his creations had survived. From grand snakes that stretched across mountain ranges, to the smallest unicorn that could call forth lightning, they had fought off the darkness and survived. While the older brother was pleased, the younger was infuriated and went against his purpose. He made something."_

 _Her daughters were enraptured. "What'd he make?"_

 _She smiled at her youngest. "Hush, Ruby, I'm getting to that. Ahem! Anyway, he created creatures of shadow bearing a single purpose, destruction. These creatures were modeled after the creations of his brother, and for an eternity the two forces waged war. Eventually, growing tired of the ceaseless conflict, the older brother offered his younger brother a way to solve the dispute."_

 _She looked to her daughters, their eyes shining. "They would make something that had both good and evil in them, so that they may choose the fate of the world. They gathered the dust of creation in their hands, and from it rose humanity. The creatures of shadow, what we now call Grimm, were unmoved by the arrival of man, but the original creations felt betrayed by the elder brother. Generations of them had fought and died in the war with the Grimm, and now they were to be replaced."_

 _She cleared her throat, taking a sip of water from a glass sitting conveniently on the nightstand behind her. "After man was created, the sibling gods left the world to observe the outcome from afar, swearing on ancient laws to never interfere. The Grimm continued their march of destruction, adding the newborn humanity to its targets. The original creations, known to the new humans as the Grand Beasts, declared war against the new race, and humanity soon found itself pushed to the edge of extinction."_

 _She took another breath. "But, the humans were far more tenacious and clever than either side gave them credit for. The humans searched for anything that could help against the onslaught, and developed the weapons and techniques that kept both of their enemies at bay. Then, the turning point came when they found the one thing only they could use."_

 _Her eldest giggled. "Dust!"_

 _She smiled at her eldest. "Yang, hush, I'm almost done. The discovery of Dust put the humans on an even playing field with the Grand Beasts, and made them superior to the Grimm. However, the leaders of humanity at the time knew that to defeat the Grand Beasts would cripple humanity. Thus, they devised a ritual that used much of the Dust they had to seal the Grand Beasts deep in the earth. The force of the ceremony shattered the moon and split the land into separate continents and islands."_

 _She could see the girls getting sleepy, time to wrap things up. "Humanity grew from those disparate parts into the kingdoms we know today. The Huntsmen and Huntresses that were trained during the war drove away the Grimm, and peace reigned across the world. However, deep in the earth, the Grand Beasts stewed in their anger and rage. The power that came from that anger could seep through the seal, and thereby allowed the beasts a limited influence in the world. That influence is said to be the origin of the Faunus, as the beasts' energy changed babies yet to be born."_

 _She closed the book with a thud. "And that's the story of how humanity began. Did I use too many big words, girls?"_

 _She glanced to her daughters when no response came. They were sound asleep._

 _She smiled and tucked them into bed, kissing the crowns of their heads, before flicking off the light and closing the door. She glanced down at the book and flipped to the back, names of the Grand Beasts staring back at her._

 _Rathalos_

 _Barioth_

 _Nargacuga_

 _Zinogre_

 _Dalamadur_

 _Rukodiora_

 _Shagaru Magala_

 _And so many more. There were at least six pages detailing the names of the Grand Beasts, and she had an idea pop into her head._

 _"I wonder…" She wandered down the hall, her mind playing with the idea that had come to her. It was intriguing, but it spit in the face of everything she'd ever learned._

 _"Hmm, a thought for another time. I need to get those calibrations done before my hunt next month." She hummed as she went back to her work, the book left on the kitchen counter for the night._

* * *

-Patch, Winter—

* * *

A lone figure in a bright red cloak stood alone beside a cliff face, staring at the slab of stone before them. On it sat a single stylized rose, with a name and sentence below it.

 _Summer Rose_

 _Thus Kindly I Scatter._

The figure laid a single white rose on the slab, a tattered book held in her hand. "Happy Birthday, mom." The voice was of a young girl, the cloak billowing in the wind to reveal a black and red skirt, with a black corset tied by red string. A black shirt sat under the corset, the long sleeves lined with red, and a simple belt with a stylized rose buckle that was identical to the one on the grave looped around the girl's waist. Her hood remained up, but the cold wind tickled her dark, red tinted hair.

She sighed and turned around, walking into the forest behind her. She could see shadows dancing at the corners of her eyes, and sighed when she entered a clearing. Before her stood a pack of Beowolves, their orange eyes glaring from the bony masks.

One of them growled and charged her, intent on spilling her guts across the snow. Instead, she vanished from view, leaving red petals to float in the air where she'd been, with black and red energy crackling between them.

The Beowolf froze and she reappeared behind it, a large scythe held in her hands. Two halves of the four-legged Grimm fell in two opposite directions, before the other members of the pack charged as well. She flipped her scythe around and planted the blade into the earth. Her finger found a switch and a shot rang out over the growls, punctuating a hole that was punched through the leading wolf. She fired three more shots before the wolves were on her, and she yanked the scythe from the earth.

Her first slash slew one of the wolves, and she started using the shots she had left to boost her momentum, spinning and twirling amongst the wolves until one caught her off guard. Her weapon took the brunt of the attack, and she stood on the shaft after landing. There were more of the wolves gathering with every moment, and she finally groaned.

"Geez, I gotta get home! Yang'll kill me if I'm not back in an hour!"

The wolves were unmoved.

She sighed. "Fine, let's get this over with."

She took a deep breath, and flared the energy she could feel in her core. Black and red lightning crackled about her, forming a veil of rose petals from the energy. Her eyes opened and one silver eye glared, while the other orb, a blood red iris with a white pupil, met the eyes of the wolves.

Her eyes narrowed. "Leave."

The wolves hesitated before turning tail and dashing into the forest, their desire for survival outweighing their desire for destruction.

The young girl sighed when the last one fled, her Aura settling down. It was annoying having to do that since it drained about a quarter of her Aura, but at least she didn't have to deal with most Grimm if she didn't want to.

After all, even Grimm fear the Stygian.


	2. Glimpses

**Alright, chapter 2! So everyone knows, this story will be told in a first person POV. While it's a departure from the first chapter, that was just set up. Now then, we join Ruby as she's listening to her music in the Dust store. (Yes, this story will resemble the first Volume of Ruby. But, that's only until the appropriate set up is complete and then we will veer hard.)**

* * *

Glimpses

* * *

Hi, I'm Ruby Rose! I'm a fifteen, going on sixteen year-old girl who's trying her hardest to graduate from Signal Academy so she can get into the famous Beacon Academy. I've dreamed of being a Huntress ever since I was little, and I couldn't wait for my chance to join such a prestigious school.

I also happen to be a weapons nut, with my favorite being my sweetheart, 'Crescent Rose', which I made myself. It's able to go from a scythe to a sniper rifle and back again and I can use so many types of Dust with it and I can spin it round and round and…

Oh, sorry, my sister tells me I get a little excited talking about her.

Anyway, I was sitting here in a Dust shop, reading my favorite weapons magazine while my favorite song played on my headphones, when suddenly, this guy in a black suit and red sunglasses taps my arm. Turns out, he was trying to rob me, so I just kicked him out of the shop.

As in I kicked him through the window. Some guys that looked a lot like him came at me after that, but I kicked them out too. They seemed really mad at me, so I used my darling Crescent Rose to lay the smack down on them.

I was all, 'whoosh' and 'pshah' and all those fun things. My dear is really good at what she does, but I always have to use the blunt end while in town. It may not be fun, but I'm no murderer.

Sorry, getting sidetracked. So, after I kicked the collective butts of those mooks, there was this guy in a white suit that was real nonchalant about how much of a thief he was. I mean, he had a nice hat and all, but a thief's a thief!

I tried to stop him, but he had a gun in his cane that shot explosive rounds. I was able to follow him to the roof, but he jumped into an air ship that took every bullet I had without any visible damage. Then this pretty lady with blonde hair and a purple cape showed up, and she started throwing things at them with her mind, it was amazing!

Oh, right, I should tell _WhitePlush_ about that later.

Anyway, I tried to help her take down the ship, but this big ring of fire burned all the stuff the pretty lady was using. I got a glimpse of what I think was another woman with these scary yellow eyes, before the hatch closed and the ship took off.

Why did I tell you all that? Well…

"Ms. Rose, your attention, please? There are still more questions to ask, and the sooner you answer them, the sooner you can leave."

See, I was getting interrogated by the pretty lady. She was not happy with me; nor were the police, for that matter.

Man, you'd think helping stop a robbery would get you at least a pat on the back. I mean sure, I caused some property damage, but that wasn't _that_ big a deal, was it?

…Ok, it was, but I didn't do it on purpose!

"Ms. Rose."

I finally looked at her, doing my best pouty face. "Yes?"

The lady sighed. "Frankly, young lady, you should be sent home. You put both yourself and others in great danger by jumping into a situation about which you had no knowledge."

That wasn't fair! "But I _helped_! They tried to rob the store, to rob _me_! I had to defend myself!"

The woman nodded. "Had that been all you'd done, I'd give you a pat on the back, before sending you on your merry way. As it stands, you should still get that pat on the back…"

I smiled.

"And a slap on the wrist."

I grimaced, just noticing the woman grow exasperated. "But, it appears someone here would like to speak with you. Much as I wish he wouldn't."

She'd mumbled the last part, but I could hear the tapping of shoes coming into the room. I couldn't see them at first, having a light shined in your eye while the room was dark didn't do much for night vision, after all. However, when they finally came into the light, I swore I recognized them.

He was a man of an age I really couldn't place, his hair grey and unruly. He had a pair of small tinted spectacles perched far down his nose, showing his sharp yellow eyes. Outside of that, he wore a dark green coat and vest with a much lighter green turtleneck underneath. There was an odd shaped necklace around his throat, but his voice stopped my observation.

"Ruby Rose, I presume?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that's me."

He stepped forward and leaned close to me, eyes scrunching. "You… have silver eyes."

That was an odd first thing to notice, if I do say so myself. I mean come on, I have red tinted hair for crud's sake! "Uh…."

The man backed off. "So, tell me Ms. Rose, where did you learn to use the single most deadly weapon ever devised, at such a tender age, at that?"

I glanced away. "Oh, at Signal."

His eyes narrowed. "They taught you how to break dance on a scythe while firing the inbuilt sniper rifle? All without so much as making your skirt flare?"

My cheeks burned. "Well, it was one teacher in particular." May as well be honest. "He taught me how to do all the crazy awesome stuff."

The man stood back, but not before putting a plate of delicious looking cookies in front of me. "I only know one scythe wielder of comparative skill. He's a dusty old crow that never writes anymore."

I'd already polished off a good half of the cookies. "Oh yeah, that's my Uncle Qrow. He says he doesn't like writing much."

He just stared at me. Oh, I'd said that with my mouthful, bad habit. "Oh, sorry. That's my Uncle Qrow, he teaches at Signal, and he took me under his wing when I enrolled. Trust me, I was garbage before he started instructing me, but now I'm like a super ninja break dancer with a super scythe!"

I did some kung-fu poses, but he was decidedly unimpressed. "Quite. Now, I'd like to ask what someone as young and pretty as you is doing at a combat school."

The woman smacked him. "Headmaster, you must watch your word choice."

The man shrugged it off. "I'm aware of what I said, Glynda. May I remind that a professional Huntress such as yourself should not be so petty."

I was beside the woman in an instant. "You're a Huntress! Please, _please_ let me have your autograph!"

She just stared at me, the emerald orbs annoyed. "Back in your seat, Ms. Rose. We'll be done shortly."

The man shook his head. "Anyway, would you please answer the question?"

I skulked to my seat before taking a deep breath. "I… really want to be a huntress. I want to go out and slay monsters, and help people, and travel, and do all those great things. See, I've only got the two years at Signal left, then I'm going to apply to Beacon. My sister's already going to Beacon since she's training as a Huntress, and our parents say that helping people's good, and…"

I fangirled for another couple minutes before pausing for breath. They were, again, unimpressed, but the man had an odd glimmer in his eye. "Tell me, do you know who I am?"

I stared at him for a long minute before my brain finally kicked in. "You're Professor Ozpin… the Headmaster of Beacon."

He nodded. "Good to meet you."

I bowed a bit. "You too."

His face became serious and he leaned on the table. "So… you want to come to my school, correct?"

I smiled, trying to show how much I wanted to go in my eyes. "More than anything."

He glanced to the woman and she rolled her eyes. He just smiled and turned back to me. "Well, before I say anything, can you do one more thing for me?"

I wilted. "Um, sure."

His gaze intensified, if that was possible. "Can you focus your Aura for me? Concentrate it in your core and let it loose."

I shifted in my seat. "Um… Dad says I' m not supposed to do that. He says I'll explode, since my Semblance doesn't react well with it."

I knew damn well that wasn't the case, but Dad didn't want other people seeing what happened when I did that. I didn't either since I looked so scary.

Professor Ozpin sighed. "I understand, but that's not the case. Glynda here has already determined that doing this will not harm you in anyway. Please, just do this and we'll let you leave."

I sighed. There was no way I was getting out of here with a powerful Huntress, _and_ the famous Professor Ozpin in front of me.

 _Sorry Dad, looks like I have to show them._

I took a deep breath and nodded. I started concentrating my Aura into my core and felt the presence as much a part of me as my Semblance. It rose easily and I was soon surrounded by familiar petals made of black-red lightning.

Professor Ozpin just stared, a smile on his face. "I see. Alright then, you can stop."

He shared another glance with the woman, Glynda I guess, before turning back to me. "You said you wanted to attend my school? Well, alright then."

I practically leapt from my seat, thanking Professor Ozpin profusely. I had a road into the school now, all that was left was to finish up at Signal and then I could attend!

* * *

~Ozpin~

The girl was quite energetic to hear that I'd accepted her. I do wonder if she knew that she'd be attending right away, rather than finishing up at Signal?

"So, is she what I think she is?"

Ah yes, Glynda. "There's no mistaking it. The girl is an Icon."

Glynda frowned at me. "There hasn't been an Icon is almost sixty years. The last died when he was thought a Grimm infiltrator."

I tented my fingers. "I'm aware of what happened. And even then, he was the only known Icon to have appeared in two centuries. We know the signs, but I never thought such a young girl would hold something so powerful."

Glynda shook her head. "My question is, which one? Only a few hold black lightning, and many of them are part of the Elders."

I smirked. "Oh, she's no Elder. In fact, she's closer to an Elder slayer than anything else."

I glanced at Glynda's shocked face. "She's a Stygian. A born leader that lead the Grand Beasts in battle for centuries. We've found quite the catch."

* * *

~Ruby~

I got out of that jail house, and immediately started typing a message.

 _To: WhitePlush_

 _From: RoseWolf_

 _Guess what just happened to me \^_^/! I got to meet Professor Ozpin and he says I can come to Beacon! That means, when I'm done at Signal, I can come to Beacon! You said you were going to go to Beacon this year, right? Maybe we can meet up when I come to attend!_

I hit the "send" button, and only had to wait a moment before a reply popped up.

 _To: RoseWolf_

 _From: WhitePlush_

 _That's great to hear! I'm so happy to hear that you've gotten a fast track in! \^O^/_

 _The idea to meet sounds great, but you have to make sure you keep messaging me! It's supposed to be really hard in the school so I need you to keep me from dying! That would make meeting really hard. -_-'_

I laughed and typed back another response. Oh, wait, you guys don't know who I'm messaging, do you?

See, I signed up for this fun program back home in Patch, where you were randomly assigned another person to talk to over a messaging system. We couldn't use our scrolls to do video chats, so it was text only. _WhitePlush_ is the person I got assigned to, and we've been friends for a while.

I'd say… seven years. What? I signed up since I was bored, and I got Dad's permission.

Anyway, we'd been kinda shy at first, but now we shared just about everything. They were two years older than me, but that didn't do much to stop us from being the best of friends. Sure, I didn't know what they looked like, or if they were a girl or a boy, but we'd been friends for years at this point.

Anyway, the interrogation didn't take all that long, so I was able to make the flight back to Patch without issue. Man, Dad was going to either be _super_ happy or _super_ pissed when he hears what happened.

* * *

~Atlas, Schnee Manor~

* * *

I shut my scroll with a smile, the first one on my lips in months.

I was so happy to hear my friend, only friend really, had gotten a fast track into Beacon. They'd always told me they were desperate to get into the school, and to reach it was wonderful news. I sighed when I looked out the window, trying my best to ignore a stirring in my gut.

This place was so lonely. My sister was gone, my father did everything to control my life, and my little brother was following in his footsteps. Why did _I_ have to be the Heiress? I wanted to do other things, not run some business, or attend fancy functions.

I could have been a dancer, a singer, anything. The only thing I could swing was Huntress training, though, and even that had a time limit.

I sighed again and let my Aura concentrate as it wished. It pulsed at my core, and my Glyphs sprang to life, each a mirror that reflected my snow-white hair and night gown. However, my eyes focused on that which my Aura brought forth, something no one in my family knew about.

Where once twin pools of light blue stared from a face marred by a single scar, a single ice blue iris and slit pupil gazed from the ruined socket, the other unchanged. The other change was my top canines, the teeth elongating to almost touch my lip.

I sighed and let the Aura dissipate, snow colder than anything in Atlas settling to the floor.

I wanted to see my friend so bad. So, so bad.

I didn't want to hide anymore.

* * *

~Remnant, Unknown~

* * *

The moon was beautiful as always. Even though it was shattered, the imperfection only added to the shining beauty in the black silk.

I sighed and slinked into my hiding place, hugging my knees to my chest. It'd been years since I'd left the White Fang, and I had everything I needed to get into Beacon. But, I had to hide everywhere there were Faunus for fear of being found out, even with a ribbon to hide my ears.

I sighed again and felt my Aura concentrate in my navel. I let it go this time, just wanting to feel the comfort of the power that was a part of me. It fell into my shadow and I looked across the hollow to see one of my shadows staring at me. This one was pitch black, with red lining the golden, diamond pupiled eyes that stared back at me.

I almost laughed at my near reflection. I'd left to escape the violence that the White Fang had to come to use, to escape the guilt I felt at using my skills to hurt others. That said, I'd also run because I had been betrayed.

The person I had once trusted had seen my Aura take this shape and changed. I suddenly found myself at his side at all times, and no one was allowed near me. After all, the Alpha had to ensure his legacy would continue. He would do anything, even hunt to the ends of the earth, to make it happen.

And, what better way ensure a legacy then with a girl that was also a Founder, the first in a century?

I sighed again and let my Shadow disappear. I needed to get a move on early, if I was going to make Beacon in time.

Hopefully, I could find something there to give my life meaning again. Any meaning.

* * *

~Patch, Forest~

* * *

Ah, damn it, Rubes! Where _are_ you?

Here I was, waiting for my lovably clumsy sister to come home from visiting Vale, and she was late! The only reason I was angry, rather than worried, was because she sent a message saying that she'd landed in Patch.

I blew my hair out of my eyes, and went inside. Dad was asleep, of course, so I had the house to myself until Ruby got home. I sighed and went out back, walking up to my good old punching bag to blow off some steam.

I threw a few straights at it, before I got annoyed. My Aura was starting to flare again, and that meant _something_ was going to blow up. I groaned and let my Aura concentrate just below my belly button, a light green sludge forming on my fists. I let the sludge congeal before turning and hitting the tree closest to me. The sludge splattered against the bark, before glowing a violent yellow and exploding.

I was ok, since it wasn't that much sludge, but I could feel my eye change again. I didn't need to see it to know about the blood red iris and black sclera surrounding the rectangular pupil. It was really weird how my vision changed because of it, but I'd long since become used to it.

The energy gone, I sighed and went to explain the blast to Dad. It wasn't like anything else weird could happen today, right?

"Yang, I made it into Beacon!"

…What? Was that Ruby?

I jogged up to the house and stared at my bubbly sister. "Uh, say again, Rubes?"

She smiled at me. "I said, I made it into Beacon! I ran into Professor Ozpin, and he was so impressed with me he offered for me to come!"

I just stared at her, before enveloping the lovable kidder in a hug. If it was true, the paperwork would arrive later, and they could celebrate. For now, better to just go along.

After all, she just thought my Semblance was responsible for the explosions, and I wanted it to stay that way.

I didn't want her thinking I was gross.

* * *

~FIN~

* * *

 **Well there we go, the introduction of our lovely ladies. Now, as you can see I hopped from person to person, while keeping the first person POV. This is my experiment to see how the story flows when you use a character's viewpoint compared to the third person omniscient I'm used to.**

 **Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys and I look forward to any guesses you guys may have. (RWBY is obvious if you know Monster Hunter, but JNPR is still up in the air.)**

 **Also, how about that Volume 4 finale?**


	3. To Beacon

**I'm going to write a total of five chapters before I go on to my other story. This one starts us on the flight to Beacon and our lovable Rubes meeting up with people. I admit to be sad about a lack of reviews, but hey, I always enjoy seeing favorites and follows! Heck, just having the view count go up is pretty nice. ^_^**

 **Anyway, to the tale!**

* * *

 _~To Beacon_

How on Remnant did I end up _here_?!

My wonderful sister was squeezing the life out of me, and squealing with joy that I'd be going to Beacon with her.

I'm sorry, but how did this happen?! I was expecting Dad to get a message from Beacon stating I'd been accepted when I got out of Signal, and he'd be all proud of me, after he scolded me for how I got the invitation, of course!

Instead, we got a letter saying I was to be enrolled in the coming semester. Then, we got a message from Signal saying that all the paperwork had been cleared and approved. I was now officially _two years_ ahead of my friends.

That had been a shock, understatement of the year, but… I just didn't want to be treated as special. I mean, I have that whole thing with being able to scare off weak Grimm if I use a quarter of my Aura, but I didn't want to be ostracized.

Oh, hey, I used a word Yang doesn't know. I'll have to pull my twenty Lien from her later.

"Hey, Rubes, you ok? I thought you'd be super excited for this."

I sighed, and stepped away from Yang. "I am, trust me I am, but I just don't like all the looks. I mean, I'm the youngest one here, and I haven't heard from _Plush_ in almost a week, either."

I pouted, not really wanting to think about it. _WhitePlush_ , or _Plush_ for short, hadn't responded to the message I sent them last week about what was going on. I mean, I knew it was shocking and they were getting ready to come to Beacon, but no answer was a little much.

I mean, we could actually meet! Two years early, admittedly, but that didn't justify the silence.

Yang sighed. "Rubes, you'll be fine. Heck, people will be all over you, trying to get to know you! You'll make friends in no time. Besides, _Plush_ is probably busy. I haven't been able to touch _my_ scroll 'till just yesterday, with all the prep."

I pouted again. "Yeah, all that prep you passed over to Dad. The only time you helped was when it had to do with your personal things. Dad and I had to do all the paperwork, while _you_ goofed off!"

Yang held up her hands. "Hey, you wouldn't have been packed in time if not for me. You got so absorbed in trying to figure out which mods to bring, you almost forgot clothes."

I blushed and turned away. That may have been true, but I refused to give her the satisfaction.

Yang just smiled at me. "Ah, come on. We're going to Beacon, Rubes! I mean, look outside, you can see Patch from here!"

I looked out the window and felt myself nod. I could see Patch from here, so at least we weren't super far from home. "Hey, uh, Yang? Do you… think we could be on the same team?"

Yang jerked back, eyes looking at anything but me. "Oh, uh, yeah, that sounds great! I mean, we don't really know how the selection thing goes, so we'll just have to see.

My face fell flat. "Yang, are you saying you don't want to be on my team? Do you really want to abandon your little sis to the tender mercy of strangers?"

Yang's face was stricken. "What, no! I just… want you to make friends, ok? I know you couldn't bring yours with you, and I don't want you to be lonely."

I smiled. "That's sweet of you, Yang. But, I know you just like to go out and party with your friends too. Don't think that us being on different teams would only benefit me."

Yang slouched. "Yeesh, I forget how smart you are, sometimes. Thing is, you can go from weapon nut to top student really quick… Hm, maybe you have multiple personalities."

I winced, Yang hitting closer to the truth than she knew. See, that whole power of mine? Well, when I use it, I start acting different. Like, I start acting all high and mighty, and think that I won everything before me. It's not pleasant, to say the least.

"Come on Yang, don't joke about that."

She just laughed at me. "Ah, I'm only kidding. Oh, by the way, your scroll's been buzzing the last few minutes."

I blinked before finally feeling the buzz in my pocket. I yelped and fumbled with the fabric, before finally pulling out my scroll. It had, like, a dozen messages from _Plush_ ; the earliest ones were congratulatory, while the most recent one was demanding I message them.

I sighed. "Hey, Yang, can you go check on when we'll be landing? I'll be a minute."

Yang smirked, then pulled me into another hug. "Hey, you never know. _Plush_ there may be a real cutie! Man, that'd be funny, wouldn't it?"

A blonde guy wearing a hoody and white armor stumbled past us, clearly ill if his pallor was any indication. "Bathroom, bathroom!"

We shied away from him and I sighed. "I… really hope that's not _Plush_."

Yang laughed. "Ah, come one, he wasn't that bad. I mean, sure he looked sick, but he was pretty built."

I rolled my eyes. "Yang, don't go calling guys 'built'. We both know you prefer girls."

Yang slapped a hand over my mouth, a finger to her lips. "Shh, don't say that out loud! I can get lots of free things by feigning interest, I don't need you ruining that!"

I rolled my eyes and pulled her hand off, before turning to address yet another buzz coming from my scroll. "Yang, please go. I need to do this before _Plush_ gets really mad at me."

Yang finally left, but not before throwing a wink over her shoulder. I sighed and started tapping away at my scroll, going through the usual string of apologies and reassurances, before _Plush_ finally told me something new.

 _To: WhitePlush_

 _From: RoseWolf_

 _Hate to say it, but I'll be coming in late. My ship got caught up in some turbulence, so I won't be there until after you land. Sorry, but I don't think we'll meet today. :(_

I sighed and tapped back a reassurance. I may not be able to meet them today, but we should be able to meet tomorrow. I heard a sick sounding burp, and turned in horror to see the sick boy stumbling towards me.

"No, ew, get away from me, you'll get puke all over my boots!"

* * *

~Beacon, Airship Dock~

Vomit Boy, as I will call him until I get a name, raced off the airship and started retching in the nearest bin. I did feel a bit sorry for him, but there was nothing I could do.

"So, Yang, you said you didn't know about the selection process, right?"

We were strolling along, admiring the view of Beacon. Personally, I loved that set of green lanterns that hung at the top of the central tower, but I had no idea where anything else was.

Yang hummed. "Nope, not a clue. They make sure it's a big secret so people don't just try and pair up out the gate, ya know?"

I pouted. "Well, at least I get to see all these cool weapons. None are as great as my sweetheart, though!"

I pulled out Crescent Rose to show her off, nearly taking off Yang's foot. But, contrary to expectations, people shied away from my lovely weapon, instead giving us a wide berth.

Yang, possibly sensing my low mood, tried to cheer me up. "Hey, it'll be fine, Ruby. You just need to get out there and talk to people. You never know, there may be another one just as nutty about weapons as you."

I smiled, but didn't get an answer off. Yang, my lovely sister, was swept away by the arrival of her friends and I could do nothing as she gave me a cheery goodbye and left me. Alone, I just sunk to my knees and flopped on my back. "Some warm welcome. Geez, I thought people were supposed to be friendly here."

I sighed and yanked my sweetheart out of the ground, folding her up before starting to wander. As far as I knew, we weren't supposed to gather for another hour, so I just let my feet guide me.

Right into a luggage cart.

White cases went flying as I hit the floor, my Aura saving me from a sore tailbone. "Oof!"

I shook my head and looked around, dismay growing at the sheer number of cases surrounding me. "Oh boy."

"You idiot! How could you just wander into a stack of cases?!"

The voice that yelled at me was a girl, obviously older than me, but of a higher pitch than Yang's. I stood and bowed. "I'm super sorry, I wasn't paying attention!"

A huff greeted my ears. "I can tell, dolt. Now tell me why some kid is here at Beacon and wandering into Dust cases!"

My eyes finally rose to get a look at my scolder. She was… well, beautiful. In the 'I'm royalty' kind of way, with perfect posture and a nice face. My years of analyzing an opponent told me she had the body of a dancer and a fencer, confirmed by the cool rapier at her waist, and she held herself very surely.

But, what most caught my eye was the scar running over one of her eyes, marring an otherwise perfect visage and the off-center pony tail she wore her pure white hair in. Oh, and the light blue eyes that were currently staring a hole through me.

"Hey, I've been accepted into Beacon! I'm here to be a Huntress just like the rest of you!"

I looked at the cases. "And all this is Dust? Why would anyone need so much?"

The girl didn't deign to respond, only opening one of the cases and grabbing something. She slammed it shut, making blue and yellow dust rise from the lid, and she started shaking the vial full of red Dust in my face. "I'll have you know that I use Dust in combat and I need a lot of it! Besides, this stuff is volatile and you running into it could have made this whole platform explode!"

She kept shaking the Dust vial, and more of it kept leaking out. I guess she was too caught up in scolding me to notice, but my nose sure did. The Dust tickled my poor nose and I did everything I could to stop what was coming.

Unfortunately, I still sneezed.

Somehow that little sneeze was enough to ignite the Dust, fire, lightning, and ice crystals blooming to life. I was unharmed, somehow, but the girl across from me was covered in soot.

"Oh, geez, I am so sorry!"

The girl practically erupted. "This is exactly what I was talking about! Now you've made a mess and I need to change! Geez, you shouldn't even be here. And you sure as heck won't stay, if you don't start watching where you're going!"

I took umbrage to that. "Hey, princess, I earned my way here!"

She was about to explode again, when another voice interrupted. "Actually, her proper title is 'heiress'. She's Weiss Schnee, of the Schnee Dust Company. They're the largest distributor of Dust and refined energy propellant in the world."

I turned to face the new person and blinked. Long black hair, yellow eyes in a pretty face, black and white outfit that bared her stomach, and a sheath over her back. Oh, she was Yang's type, especially with that whole 'mystery' aura hanging around her.

The other girl, Weiss I guess, smirked. "Finally, someone that realizes who they're talking to-"

The black-haired girl wasn't done. "They're also known for controversial labor forces and questionable business partners. Frankly, I'd sooner stay away than try and be friendly."

Weiss was stunned. "H-how dare you-"

She stifled a scream and snatched the vial of dust the other girl was holding, before marching away. I tried to offer repayment, but she ignored me. "Guess… I'm not the only one having a rough day…"

I turned to try and thank the other girl, but she was already walking away. I sighed and sunk back to the ground, not even bothering to think about how long Yang would have stared at those hips. "Welcome to Beacon. Please, help yourself to the wonderful pastries baked locally while you get to know our friendly student body."

I snorted. "The brochure lied to me."

I sat there for a few minutes before a shadow fell over my eyes. "Hey, I'm Jaune. You looking for the pastries too?"

I grinned, reaching for the hand he offered me. "Yeah, well, just thinking about how everyone's supposed to be 'friendly'."

The boy nodded. "Yeah, not the friendliest people I've met either. But, have to keep trying I guess. After all, strangers are just friends you haven't met yet."

That was surprisingly wise. "Huh, I guess. …Have we met before? I feel like I recognize you."

He was distinctive after all. I mean, blonde hair, deep blue eyes, tall with armor and a sword at his side tends to make an impression. Hmm…aha! "You're Vomit Boy!"

He hung his head. "Vomit…Boy?"

* * *

"All I'm saying is, it's a more common issue than you think!"

"I'm sorry! I mean, I didn't know your name and it just kinda… popped into my head. Sorry."

Jaune sighed. "It's… it's fine. Just, _please_ , don't call me that from here on, and I won't call you Crater Face."

I pouted. "Hey, that's mean!"

He laughed. "Ah, don't worry about it. Anyway, I think we need to get moving. By the way, I never got your name."

I smiled. "Oh! I'm Ruby Rose, nice to meet you Jaune."

We shook hands, then started walking towards the central tower. I assumed that Jaune knew where he was going, so I just let him lead and we exchanged small talk. Well, until weapons came up and I just had to show him my sweetheart.

He was suitably impressed, but his own weapon was a tad disappointing. I mean, a sword and shield is a can do no wrong classic, but he didn't look like he knew how to use them all that well. It was cool that the shield was also the sword's sheath, that I will admit.

But, after that little show we kinda realized we were both lost. That's what we get for assuming things, I guess, but at least we still made it to the meeting point on time. I may have used my Semblance a bit, but Jaune was too busy figuring out up from down to complain.

I said goodbye to the dizzy boy, then stomped my way up to Yang. She tried to placate me with a smile and greeting, but I was mad at her. Let it never be said that someone made Ruby Rose mad and got away with it. "Next time, don't ditch me."

Yang tried to placate me. "Hey, there's no need for hostility. You've already made a friend."

I snorted. "Yeah, after exploding."

Yang didn't believe me. "Oh, a meltdown already?"

I groaned. "No, I literally exploded. There was fire and lightning and ice and all that jazz. There's a blast mark on the ground."

Yang still didn't believe me. "Are you being sarcastic, Rubes? Have I finally corrupted you?"

I huffed this time. "No, I really did explode. I was just trying to figure out where I was, when I suddenly tripped over some crabby girl's luggage. Then, she started yelling at me while I tried to apologize, then I sneezed and then I exploded and she started yelling at me again and I felt really bad, and I just wanted to make her stop yelling-"

"You!"

I leapt into my sister's arms. "Oh God, it's happening again!"

Weiss glared at me. "You're lucky neither of us were blown off the cliff!"

Yang finally realized the truth. "My God, you really did explode."

I glared at her. "It was an accident, I swear! I didn't mean to, and I certainly didn't think it'd explode from a sneeze!"

A pamphlet was put in front of me and Weiss went on a very long, legal-ease filled rant that made my head spin. By the time she was finished, I couldn't tell which way was up.

Weiss glared at me. "You want to try and repay me? Read the pamphlet cover to cover, and cease speaking to me."

Yang stepped in, an easy grin on her face. "Hey, it looks like you guys just started out on the wrong foot. How's this, you put this aside and start over. Ya know, try to be friends."

I nodded. "Yeah, you're right, sis. Ahem, sorry about earlier, Weiss. I'm Ruby; would you like to hang out? Like, I don't know, go shopping, have lunch, something like that?"

Weiss smiled at me. "Oh, sure! Maybe we'll get our nails painted, and try on dresses. Or, _gasp_ , we'll get to talk about boys!"

I was super happy. "Really?"

Her face fell flat. "Yeah, no."

I hung my head and turned back to the stage. Weiss, the jerk, didn't leave, so I was left to stew in my embarrassment. Professor Ozpin walked up to the stage, but as he spoke about purpose, he seemed off. It was like… he wasn't really there. I swear that his eyes trailed over to me, Yang, and Weiss before pointedly looking at other parts of the room.

The pretty lady I met, Professor Goodwitch, stepped forward. "You all will be meeting in the ballroom tonight. In the morning, your initiation will begin. Dismissed."

Everyone there left, only a few sticking around. Weiss walked off to who knows where while I tried to find Jaune. Eventually, I found him talking to a girl in bronze armor with the most striking red hair I'd ever seen.

"Hey, Jaune! I want you to meet my sis!"

He turned and smiled at me. "Oh, hey Ruby. Actually, I'd like to introduce you to someone I've met."

He gestured to the redhead. "This is Pyrrha, she's real nice."

The girl smiled. "Hello, it's nice to meet you, Ruby."

I smiled right back. "You too Pyrrha. This is my sister, Yang."

Yang waved. "Good to meet you both. Jaune, thanks for being my sister's first friend at Beacon. Pyrrha, glad to see another person with a primary for hair."

Pyrrha blinked. "Um, what?"

Yang pointed to her hair. "You're red, I'm yellow. Now we just need blue and we're a set!"

I sighed. "Don't worry about her, she tends to point out the oddest things. Anyway, you guys want to explore? I think we have to store our stuff before we can wander."

I got a round of nods and we took off. Beacon really was such a nice place, and it was great fun getting to know Jaune and Pyrrha. However, I felt like we were missing something. Like… we were being watched.

* * *

~Ozpin~

"Hm... how strange."

I was watching four separate screens in my office. One depicted a lone white haired girl taking inventory of some boxes in the initiation's storage room. Another showed a black-haired girl perched in a tree reading a trashy romance novel. Yet another showed a black-haired boy and orange haired girl wandering through the gardens. Finally, the last one showed dear Ruby Rose and her sister wandering around with the pride of Mistral and a boy with false transcripts.

"There's never before been more than one Icon at one time. That we have more than one can only mean one thing: the seal is weakening."

I took a sip of my wonderful coffee. Doctor Oobleck may have been a speed demon, but he knew his brews. "But, there's not one, not two, not three, but _eight_ Icons in one place. That could only mean one thing…"

I pinched my nose. If there were so many of them in one place, then the Grimm were the least of their problems. I smirked, though.

 _Let's see how this plays out. I feel like tomorrow's going to be… interesting_.

* * *

~Ruby~

I was scribbling in my journal as the day came to an end. Thanks to Jaune and Pyrrha, my day had been officially salvaged from abject disaster. It was kind of odd to be stuck in a sleeping bag, especially with so many people around, but it wasn't that bad.

"Ah, it's like one big slumber party, eh?"

Yang flopped onto her bag, smiling at me. I just kept writing. "Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure Dad wouldn't approve of all the guys."

Yang smirked. "Nah, he wouldn't, but I sure do."

I rolled my eyes. "Stop looking for targets, Yang. I'm pretty sure you don't want to the name 'Heartbreaker' again."

Yang rolled her eyes in turn. "Yeah, yeah… wait, it that Jaune in a _onesie_?"

I glanced where she was looking, and sighed wearily. "Yep, blue with puffs on the feet and a zipper up front. Looks warm at least."

Yang cringed. "Uh, yeah. Anyway, what you writing?"

I sighed. "Well, now I'm writing a letter back to the gang at Signal. They made me swear an oath to tell them everything about Beacon, and how things were going."

I narrowed my eyes. "And don't you _dare_ call it cute. I didn't get to bring my friends."

Yang smirked. "Ah, come on, you've made friends. Take Jaune and Pyrrha, they're nice. I mean, Jaune's a tad weird, but I think he's just awkward."

I sighed again. "Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative. So, sure, I have one friend, but that's not much."

Yang smiled. "Ah, don't look at it that way! You just made two friends and one enemy."

I answered that dubious statement with a headshot from my trusty corgi pillow. However, she was right about one thing. I had made friends. And it was only the first day; maybe I could bring Weiss around, given enough time.

The scrape of a match met my ears, so I searched for the origin. Oh, it was that girl from this morning. She looked like she was reading something, so that explained the candles.

Yang noticed. "Hello…"

I knew that look all too well. Yang was interested and I was about to be dragged into it. Yang got the ball rolling. "Do you know her?"

I sighed, trying to come up with something that could save me. "She's a girl I saw this morning. She saw what happened, but left before I said anything."

I clamped my mouth shut, realizing too late that I'd just given Yang an excuse to waltz over there. "Well, now's your chance! Come on!"

She grabbed my arm and started to drag me over, despite my attempts to escape. The other girl looked up from her book to see us approach, and was obviously displeased with the interruption. That is, until Yang started talking. "Hello, I believe you two know each other."

The girl glanced at me briefly, before frowning. "You're… the girl that exploded earlier today."

I nodded, embarrassed out of my shirt. "Yeah, that's me. Name's Ruby."

The girl nodded slowly before going back to her book. "Ok."

Yang glanced at me, her voice a whisper. "What in heaven's name are you doing? Say something!"

I countered. "I don't know what I'm doing, she obviously doesn't want us here!"

Yang didn't listen. "So, I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister. What's your name?"

The girl glanced up, annoyance clear on her face, at least to me. Hah, and they say _I'm_ the socially stunted one. "Blake."

Yang tried one more thing. "I really like the bow, where'd you get it?"

"It was a gift."

"Lovely night, right?" Yang said, trying to keep the conversation alive.

Blake finally decided to be rid of us if her next words were any indication. "Yes, it's lovely. Like this book,"

We stared. ", that I will continue to read,"

We still didn't move. ", after you _leave_."

She turned right back to it and Yang sighed. "Well, I give up. Come on, Rubes, let's head to bed."

I frowned, trying to find the book's cover. "What's it called?"

Blake looked up. "Huh? The book?"

I nodded. "Yeah, what's it called?"

She looked surprised. "Oh, well… it's called " _The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_ ". The man, Dr, Jekyll, has two souls, due to an experiment to purge himself of sin and imperfection. This fails, and all the wickedness becomes the second soul: Mr. Hyde. The two souls fight for control of the body. It's… not that special."

I disagreed. "Well, I love books. Glad to see a fellow fan, though my type of books tend to lean more toward fantasies and legends."

I smiled. "In fact, the one's I like the most are about heroes. See, they helped inspire me to be a Huntress. You know, defending those that can't help themselves? I always admired that, and really want to be just like them."

Blake smiled at me, but I felt a bit patronized. "That's ambitious, for a child. Tell me, do you want people to live happily ever after? Unfortunately, the real world's not like that. It sucks, but it's true."

I shrugged. "Doesn't mean I can't try. After all, optimism makes the world go 'round, and what are Hunters and Huntresses but sources of optimism?"

Blake was stunned by my answer, I could tell by the look on her face. Yang ruined the moment, as always. "Oh, I'm so proud of you, Rubes! Being all mature in front of people!"

I answered with a fist to the chin, and our traditional pre-bed scrum finally came about. Then, Weiss, her hair down and dressed in a lovely nightgown, came along and we all started arguing, until Blake made us all shut up.

I finally tucked myself under the covers when I decided to send a message to _Plush_.

 _Hey, Plush, sorry about not sending you anything. Are you here in the Ballroom with everyone else? If you are, I hope you have a goodnight's rest. There was a bit of a fight going on and I don't know if you heard. Anyway, I hope to see you tomorrow. Hopefully before the initiation, but we'll see how it goes._

I sent the message and got a reply a few minutes later.

 _To: RoseWolf_

 _From: WhitePlush_

 _Hey Wolf, it's fine. Yeah, I heard the fight, was close to it. I can't believe how loud they were being, people are trying to sleep! But, I'm glad to hear from you at least and I hope we'll be able to meet tomorrow too. I mean, initiation is early, so it may not happen till later._

 _Just send me a time and place, I'll meet you then._

I smiled and sent a quick thanks before closing my scroll and letting sweet sleep take me away.

* * *

~Morning~

I woke bright and early, racing to the bathroom to change, before racing even faster to the storage room to find my sweetheart. I'd already memorized the code and locker number, so my lovely Crescent Rose was in my hands and being tweaked before anyone else arrived.

Sadly, the first to arrive, after me, was Weiss. We just mutually ignored each other, but I couldn't help admiring her rapier. I wanted to know what those chambers at the base did.

Thankfully, the next person to arrive was Pyrrha. I waved her down and we started speculating what we'd be doing during initiation. She also showed me her wonderful weapon that could be a sword, a spear, or a rifle, while her shield could be thrown like a buzz-saw. Frankly, I thought it was freakin' cool!

After that, there was a steady stream of people, and Yang came down during the last wave. She said she didn't have much to adjust with Ember Celica, but I was _so_ upset she hadn't added the stabilizer like I wanted. Oh well, she'd learn when a Grimm got a cheap shot in 'cause her aim was off.

"Gah, I know my locker's around here somewhere. Oh, hey, Pyrrha, who you talkin' to?"

That was Jaune's voice. I glanced over and saw him walking over to Pyrrha, who was apparently talking to Weiss. I didn't hear what the next bit was, but it ended with Jaune getting stuck to the wall with Pyrrha's spear.

"Man, what happened there?"

I shrugged off Yang's question. "How should I know? Anyway, I'm looking forward to today! No more chatter and awkward moments, my sweetheart will do my talking for me!"

Yang sounded… nervous. "You know, Ruby, you're not the only one doing initiation. Maybe you could, I don't know, work with others. It'd help you grow up a bit."

I groaned. "Yang, stop talking like Dad. Besides, I don't need people to grow up. I. Have. Milk."

I glared at her. "And what, exactly, does meeting people have to do with fighting?"

Yang grimaced. "Well, you know, when we make teams we'll all be stuck together. Wouldn't it be better to meet people, knowing that?"

I looked away. "I'll just… be on your team, or something."

Yang looked really nervous. "Maybe… you should be on someone else's team."

That made my mind grind to a halt. "Dearest sister Yang, are you implying that you don't want to be on a team with me? Is that what you're saying?"

She backpedaled hard. "No, no that's not it. I just… think that meeting people would get you out of your shell."

I felt insulted. "I do not have to break out of my shell, that's ridiculous! I don't have a shell to break out of, anyway!"

Yang's face went flat. "Rubes, you spend half your time on a workbench, and the other half training. You refer to your weapon like it's a real person; you don't know how to talk to people, so you avoid them."

I didn't deign to respond. Now she'd insulted Crescent Rose, and I would not speak to her until the slight was paid.

Yang sighed. "My point exactly."

I just left, walking by Pyrrha helping Jaune out of the lockers. I didn't really focus on anything until we found ourselves on little stone squares by a cliff, Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch standing to the side.

Professor Ozpin started us off. "You've all trained to be warriors. Today, that training will be put to the test, here in the Emerald Forest. At the end of the path, at the north end of the forest, there is a temple with several relics. You will meet opposition on your way to the temple, and you mustn't hesitate to destroy all in your path. If you don't, you will die."

Professor Goodwitch took over. "You will all be graded and monitored on your performance in the forest. However, none of the instructors will intervene. Once you have retrieved a relic, you are to return here. Also, you've no doubt heard rumors about how teams will be assigned."

I sighed, glad to hear some news.

"You will be put into teams today."

... Bad news, apparently.

Professor Ozpin spoke. "You will be in your teams for the entirety of your time here at Beacon, so try to pair up with someone with whom you work well. With that being said, the first person you make eye contact with will be your partner for your entire stay as well."

... WHAT!?

My mind froze and shattered. This… this was just too sudden!

"Now, each pair will take and protect the relic. The relic's state, as well as your own performance, will be part of the final grade. Are there any questions?"

Jaune, standing next to me, had his hand up in an instant. Ozpin ignored him. "Alright, remember to use your landing strategy. Your initiation begins when the pad sends you skyward. Good luck."

The pads under our feet started rocketing people into the woods. I pulled Crescent Rose out, but kept her under her rifle configuration. Jaune asked his question, and I almost gaped. "Um, what's a landing strategy?"

Ozpin answered, not so much as an ounce of surprise in his voice. "Why, how you land. After all, you'll be falling into this forest and you have to figure out how not to die."

I heard Jaune gulp, but Yang flew away and I was soon airborne. I used Crescent Rose's propellant to slow my descent, before unfolding her and hooking on a thick tree. I spun around the branch a couple of times before jumping to the ground.

I ran into the forest at top speed. I wanted to find Yang, being partners would be so cool, but I couldn't see her even after going at top speed for thirty seconds. If she was gone… maybe Jaune? He's nice and funny, but I don't think he's all that good. Blake was another option, being all cool and a book person, but I don't think we'd be able to talk well.

Pyrrha was another choice, but she'd gone way before me. She was likely taken already.

Who did that leave that I knew? Hmm… Yang, Jaune, Blake, Pyrrha…

I sensed someone up ahead, and had to skid to a halt. But, when I stopped and looked up, I found a pair of familiar light blue eyes staring at me in disbelief.

Oh right, I knew Weiss.

But, she started walking away the moment she realized it was me. "Wait, we're supposed to be partners!"

She ignored me and disappeared into the brush. I hung my head, disappointed, when she came stalking back. She had anger in her voice as she grabbed my hood. "Do not think this makes us friends."

I was just glad she came back! I didn't even mind getting dragged along.

She huffed as she walked a head of me. "Would you hurry up? I don't want a bad grade just because you're sl-"

She almost said the taboo word. I solved that problem by dashing in front of her, grinning at her stunned face. "You do not have to worry about me being slow. I mean, I may not know how to deal with people, but monsters? Oh, you'll be seeing a whole other side of me today! At the end, you'll be like 'Ruby's so cool, I wanna to be her friend!' Just watch!"

I dashed into the forest, wanting to scout a bit. But, I heard a familiar growling and dashed back to find Weiss surrounded by Beowolves.

 _Weiss, why aren't you doing anything?! If you keep worrying about your stance they'll kill you!_

One of the Beowolves shot forward, but Weiss blocked the strike. It pushed her further into the clearing, but she kept correcting her stance.

 _Geez, fine! Ruby to the rescue!_

I channeled my Semblance and burst forward, Crescent Rose cutting through the shadowy wolf like butter. But, I wasn't expecting the line of flame to burst out to my left, or the surprised grunt behind me. I looked back to see a surprised Weiss before one of the Beowolves smacked me right into her.

I sprang into a crouch. "Watch it!"

Weiss took issue with that. "What?! You attacked out of turn, I could have burned you alive!"

I hid a smirk. "You'll have to try a lot harder than that, _princess_."

She didn't bother to respond, focusing her attention back on the wolves instead. Now that I had a better look, they were mostly Juveniles being led by an Alpha. It wouldn't be too hard, but we'd likely have to book it if another Alpha showed up.

That's what I thought until a burning tree landed next to us. Weiss grabbed my arm and we ran for it, leaving the Beowolves to howl in agony and anger.

We ran until the blaze was some ways behind us, before I turned on Weiss. "What on Remnant was that?! That should have been a quick and easy fight!"

She glared at me. "Excuse me?! Well, if you'd used even the slightest hint of caution, or even bothered to talk, that would have gone smoothly! But no, I have to be partners with a child that talks big, but doesn't so much as try to work with me in a battle!"

Oh, I would not take that lying down. "Hah, well I'm so happy to hear I'm partnered with someone that needs my help to finish easy fights like that! I can handle that just fine on my own, thanks."

Weiss threw up her arms. "Wonderful, so the truth comes out! Turns out, I'm partnered with the single strongest _child_ to ever wander into the Emerald Forest!"

She turned on her heel and stormed away. I just had to get some rage out so I cut down a tree before following, reluctantly I assure. But, as we were walking, I felt a strange vibe ripple through the air. It made my hair stand on end, and I could tell Weiss felt it too.

"What… was that?"

Weiss looked around. "I don't know… Come on, the sooner we're done with this, the sooner I can be rid of you."

I grunted. "Goes double for me."

We wandered around for another while before I just sat down and started playing with leaves. Weiss kept pacing back and forth, not willing to admit we were lost. She just kept going 'it's definitely this way' every minute or two.

I sighed. "Can you just admit you have no clue where we're going or where we are?"

She rounded on me. "I know where we're going. It's… the forest temple."

I groaned. "Oh, would you stop trying to be perfect? You don't know where we are, I don't know where we are, it's all just a big mess!"

She huffed. "I'm not perfect."

I growled, that power of mine starting to influence me a bit. "Then stop being a know-it-all!"

She glared right back. "What's that supposed to mean? Come on, say it!"

I let loose. "You're so _bossy_! 'Hurry up, just keep moving, watch where you're going!' Everything you say to me is just you being a big, bossy, jerk!"

Oh, I could tell that stung. "Well you need to stop acting like a _child_! We're in the wilds against things that can kill us if we're not careful, and you being a loose cannon only makes this harder!"

Oh, it was on. "Then stop treating me like one! How do you expect me to respect anything you say, when all you do is treat me like I shouldn't even be here, and that every suggestion I have doesn't fit with your 'perfection'?!"

She leaned in, her voice low and angry. "I'm. Not. Perfect. At least, not yet."

She gave me one of the most patronizing looks I've ever seen, before speaking in a tone that oozed scorn. "But, I'm still far and away superior to _you_."

She turned on her heel and walked away, leaving me with a weak rebuke that I doubt she heard. "You don't even know me."

* * *

We wandered off again and… I don't know how to explain this next series of events, so I'll just cut to the chase. See, we somehow ended up holding on for dear life on the side of a Nevermore.

Yeah…

Anyway, Weiss was screaming about how we were going to get down from there, so I gave the obvious solution. Jump.

I mean, I could see the temple below us so it worked out. But, when I jumped, Weiss didn't go with me. Instead, I found myself nearly crashing into Yang before a flying Jaune sent me into a tree trunk. I was dizzy, but was really happy to see Yang again.

That is, until the Deathstalker showed up. With Pyrrha running from it. Yay.

There was still the problem of Weiss on the Nevermore, but yours truly used Crescent Rose to pick her out of the air!

…Actually, I jumped up and we ended up using Jaune as a cushion. Don't worry, I got him something nice after the fact.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, the Deathstalker.

Well, I really wanted to show Weiss, once and for all, that I could be a Huntress. So, I charged the Deathstalker and took a few whacks at it, but the thing had one heck of a carapace. I had to use a round to get away from it, but even my top speed couldn't get me all the way back to the others. Then, the Nevermore showed up and started firing barbed feathers. One of them pinned my cloak to the ground, and I honestly thought it was the end.

Then, Weiss saved me.

I opened my eyes to see the Deathstalker's gold stinger stuck in a barrier of ice, Weiss looking at me with a mixture of resignation and exasperation. "Look, Ruby, you really need to stop showing off. I could call you a lot of things, childish among them, but you could say a lot of things about me. However, if we're going to make this work, we have to work together, ok?"

I sighed. "But… I need to show you I can do this! How else am I going to prove you wrong?"

She groaned. "You're fine, there's nothing to prove here."

She walked past me and I sighed, glad that the possibility of being friends wasn't dead quite yet. I had to hold in a whistle when I saw the extent of the barrier Weiss had made, but Yang swiftly pulled me into a bear hug. "Oh, I'm so glad you're ok! Never do that again, understand?"

I nodded and she took me to meet the new members. "Who are you two?"

The girl went first. "Name's Nora Valkyrie, nice to meet ya!"

The boy, compared to the energy Nora had, was much more laidback. "Lie Ren, though you can just call me Ren."

I nodded. "Nice to meet ya. Oh, good to see you too, Blake."

Blake nodded back, a smile on her face.

"Uh, hate to burst the friendship bubble, but that crow's circling back."

Jaune pointed to the sky, the Nevermore gearing up for another run.

I had an idea. "Well, we already have what we came for right in front of us. What say we grab a relic and make a run for it?"

There were some chuckles, but we were agreed. Even Weiss approved, which made me happier than it probably should have. I grabbed the gold horse while Jaune grabbed the castle, and then we took off running. It was a good thin too, as the Deathstalker had started breaking out of the barrier.

We ran as hard and fast as we could, but feet, even mine, were no match for wings. The Nevermore got in front of us, and perched atop a ruined tower that held the way forward, while the Deathstalker crashed through the woods behind us not a moment later.

We were getting ready to start the fight, when the strangest thing happened. A loud, barking roar sounded from the Nevermore, and the big Grimm screeched before plummeting to the earth. The Deathstalker screeched too, before another keening roar came from behind it.

The Deathstalker was closer, so we watched as a big lizard with blue scales and a red crest jumped from the woods and onto the Deathstalkers back. It had a really pointy yellow beak with teeth sticking out of it that it used to punch a hole through the Deathstalkers armor before its claws tore the armor off the Deathstalker. It was quick and brutal, but the Grimm disappeared into dark wisps barely moments after the attack started.

The Nevermore took to the air again, but crashed close to us and we watched another large lizard, this one red and purple with a large frill, anchor its jaws around the Nevermore's neck and shred its throat.

We were frozen in shock, but the beasts noticed us and charged, both roaring the whole way. Weapons were drawn immediately, but the lizards were more agile than they looked. They leapt around just about any bullet we shot, and the few that did hit were as effective as pebbles against their scales.

That meant melee, and we split up to deal with the appropriate lizard. I, along with Weiss, Blake, and Yang took on the red one, but it kept digging its claws into the stone and leaping about. Crescent Rose and my speed put a few gashes in its hide, but that only made it mad.

"Blake," I screamed. "Wrap its legs with that whip! Weiss, try and get some ice on it to slow it down! Yang, I need a Hotsauce Special!"

Blake sprang into motion and sent her weapon spiraling at the lizard's legs. It leapt over and twirled through it a few times before one of Weiss's Glyphs could freeze a chunk of its leg and it stumbled, falling from its perch and slamming against the stones.

Yang met me on the ground, and then hoisted me on to her shoulder. "Weiss, give me a boost!"

Weiss stared at me, but the vials on her rapier changed. "You're mad!"

I shrugged. "This whole situation is mad! Now, ready?"

She nodded and a black glyph appeared under my feet. The lizard was getting up, its tail whacking at the ice on its leg. We needed to end this.

"Now!"

Yang heaved as hard as she could, the Glyph adding even more acceleration as I flew at the lizard. It sensed me and caught Crescent Rose in its claws, but my momentum was too much for it to handle; I cleaved straight through its claws. It howled in pain, even as Blake's whip carved through its hide and a punch from Yang dazed it heavily.

I felt the need to end this in style, so my Aura flared, black-red lightning crackling to life. It traveled the length of Crescent Rose and I jumped from where I landed and swung, the blow landing like a lightning bolt.

The beast's neck gave way and blood spilled from the stump. We had to jump away, but I got a bit on my cloak that'd be hard to wash out.

We panted, not sure what had just happened, when Jaune and the others joined us. "What… was _that_?"

None of us had an answer. All we knew was that we had to complete the initiation, then we could ask questions. So, we trudged up the slope of the cliff and came face to face with Professor Ozpin.

He gave us a once over. "Hm, I see you ran into difficulties. But, you all have your relics, by the looks of it, so I suppose congratulations are in order. Welcome to Beacon, students. Your teams will be assigned later today."

He took a sip from his mug. "Now, I assume you all have questions about what just happened?"

We were too tired for verbal response, so we all just nodded.

Professor Ozpin shrugged. "Well, I can't tell you much here, open air is not secure enough, but I can tell you this. What you just fought were known as a Great Jaggi and a Velocidrome. They are creatures long thought extinct, but are apparently roaming Remnant once more."

He turned from our doubtlessly confused faces. "I'll explain in more detail when we return. However, know this. What you just fought was akin to foot soldiers, Juvenile Beowolves, essentially. If what I believe to be happening is true, not even the eldest Goliaths would be able to stand up to these beasts' equivalent of an Ursa Major."

He walked away, leaving every one of us incredibly confused. Those things, which took down a Nevermore and a Deathstalker like they were nothing, were foot soldiers?

... What did that make the big guys?

* * *

~FIN~

* * *

 **Hoo boy, that's a real long chapter eh?**

 **Well, we get to the point of this story right here and why both Team RWBY and JNPR are Icons. Basically, the Monsters of Monster Hunter will be coming into this story as a third party, one that is against both Grimm and Human. Now, as you might imagine, this seems unfair. But, that's where the Icons come in. They are the only living humans short of the most experienced Hunters that can tangle with anything more dangerous than a Gobul and still walk away.**

 **Again, I must ask, who do you guys think JNPR are for their Icon monsters? RWBY should be obvious, but I'll give a list just in case.**

 **Ruby: Stygian Zinogre.**

 **Weiss: Barioth**

 **Blake: Nargacuga**

 **Yang: Brachydios**

 **Have fun looking those up, they're cool! Also, before anyone starts calling bull on a Great Jaggi and a Velocidrome being able to kill a Nevermore and a Deathstalker, please wait until next chapter. Everything will be explained, I assure you.**

 **Anyway, hope you all enjoy and if you really enjoy, please leave a Fav, Follow, or Review.**

 **Have a great day!**


	4. Team Meeting

**I love the response so far! 31 Follows, 19 Favorites, and 5 reviews, all in three chapters! To really make me happy, nearly 1,000 views too! Man, to think this stories only got started last week!**

 **Thanks for all the support! Now, we'll be starting with the good old team announcements before Ozpin starts that wonderful literary device, exposition! …Well, at least the necessary bits, this is Ozpin after all.**

* * *

 _Team Meeting_

"…you will work together from now on as Team CRDL, led by Cardin Winchester."

Applause rained from the ballroom crowd and I couldn't help but smile. We'd done it, and by the looks of it, Yang, Weiss, and Blake were going to be my team.

Hmm… I wonder what we'll be called?

"Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie, you retrieved the white rook pieces."

I really couldn't wrap my head around that. The relics we picked up were gold, not white. At least the black relics were called as such.

Ozpin continued unabated. "From here on, you will work together as team JNPR"

Ah, I loved that tree!

"Your leader shall be… Jaune Arc."

I was appropriately shocked, but also happy for him. From what Pyrrha had told me, he'd figured out that taking that… Velocidrame? Velocidrome? Velocidrome's legs out was the key to killing it. He deserved it if you ask me.

Pyrrha gave him a congratulatory punch to the shoulder, but she forgot her strength and sent him to the ground. He got up with her help and then it was our turn.

"Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long."

We stepped forward, my excitement clear on my face.

"You retrieved the white knight pieces. From today forward, you will be known as Team RWBY. Led by…"

I was sure it'd be Blake. She was the most mature and level headed of us if you asked me.

"Ruby Rose."

I blinked, not sure I'd heard him correctly. I was the leader? Not Blake?

Weiss was just as shocked as me, her face said as much, but Blake and Yang looked ok so I guess it was fine. In fact, Yang jumped over and hugged me hard, almost squealing about how proud she was.

Ozpin smirked. "Well… it certainly looks like things are shaping up to make this year interesting."

I was too busy being choked by Yang to really process that comment, but we were shooed off the stage and the ceremony continued. We ended up standing next to the newly named Team JNPR and I tried to catch Weiss's eye.

She wouldn't look at me. Instead, she had a glare stuck on her face and eyes boring into Professor Ozpin.

…Did she not like that I was the leader? I mean, I'm just as surprised as she is, but that's a little cold. I haven't even been leader for five minutes and we already had trouble.

I sighed, barely noticing the ballroom start emptying. We just stood around, waiting for Professor Ozpin to finally speak to us. He didn't. All he did was turn around and leave, barely sparing us a glance before the ballroom was empty of everyone save us.

Yang filled the silence. "What was that?! He said we'd speak after the ceremony, but he just left!"

Nora pumped her fist. "Yeah! I wanna know what those lizards we're all about!"

Ren sighed. "Nora, calm down. Professor Ozpin has a reputation for keeping his word."

Blake stared at him. "Yeah, but the rumors say he keeps it in a very roundabout manner. What else can we do but wait?"

I finally pried my eyes away from Weiss. "Well, how about we go see our dorms? May as well see where we'll be staying."

I got nods all around and we started walking. Well, I had to get Weiss moving, but she only huffed and kept silent. I was bummed that she was taking the assignment so poorly, but I pushed it aside when we arrived at our dorm.

* * *

Our room had a big old living room with a table and sofa with a big set of glass doors that went out onto a balcony. There were lockers against the wall next to the door we could store all our gear in too! A door lead into a bedroom with four beds lined against one all with desks on the other. That led to another door that had the good old washroom, with three separate showers, four sinks, and three toilets!

It was like a luxury hotel! I wouldn't have to share a shower with Yang for years after a lifetime of fighting for hot water.

I fell to my knees. "Freedom!"

Yang joined me. "Freedom!"

Blake and Weiss just stared at us.

I stood up and flopped on one off the beds. "This one's mine! Oh, and before you ask, Yang and I had to share a shower and toilet for most of our lives. Having more than one is like striking a Dust deposit."

Blake smirked. "I can imagine."

Weiss huffed, speaking for the first time since the ceremony. "Well, I wouldn't know. But, I demand that I get the showers to myself. I refuse to bathe in the company of others."

Yang laughed. "Ah, come on, princess. We're all girls, there's nothing wrong with it."

I rolled my eyes, aware that Yang just wanted to ogle Blake. Thankfully, that problem solved itself. "Sorry to say, Yang, but I need the showers to myself too. I prefer to unwind under the water and having people there is just… distracting."

Yang visibly deflated. "Oh… ok. Looks like it'll just be me and Rubes."

I sighed. "No can do, Yang. Besides, we're too old to be showering together. We'll all just take turns."

Yang sunk to the floor, crocodile tears running down her cheeks. "Nobody loves me! Even my cute little sister has abandoned our once strong bond!"

I sighed. "Yang, stop it. Let's go check on JNPR, they're right across the hall."

Yang shot right back up, tears dry. I rolled my eyes again and dashed over to JNPR's room. "Hey, guys! How's the room?"

The door slammed open to reveal a glowing Nora. No, seriously, she was glowing. "Wonderful! We'll have to make sure the beds are separated, and set up shower times, but it's a nice place. Ren even promised to make pancakes tomorrow to really break this place in!"

Yang joined me. "Oh, that sounds great! Can we join?"

Ren's voice drifted from further in. "I have enough to make pancakes for seven plus Nora. Trust me, she's a demon with those things."

Blake joined the door way party. "Where are Jaune and Pyrrha?"

Nora shrugged. "Oh, there in with the beds, banging away."

Yang and Blake's jaws hit the floor. I didn't get it. "Banging at what?"

Nora smiled. "One of the beds was missing a couple nails. Pyrrha found them and they're hammering them back in."

She gave Yang and Blake a sly look. "What, you think they were doing something else?"

Yang and Blake looked away from me and Weiss finally came out of our room. "What's going on out here?"

Ren's voice drifted through the door again. "Nora's teasing your teammates. Oh, you're all invited to breakfast tomorrow too."

Weiss huffed. "I doubt anyone here can make something up to my standards, but I thank you for the hospitality."

She still sounded upset, but I didn't get to say anything when Pyrrha came into view. "Oh, hello everyone. How's the room?"

Yang pumped her fist. "I don't have to share a shower and toilet anymore! It's great!"

Pyrrha chuckled. "Sounds like it. Oh, if you're wondering about Jaune, he's trying to fix one of the supports on the bed he chose. I found the nails, but the place they need to go is pretty awkward."

I finally got a word in. "Ok, now that we've seen the rooms, what should we do about Professor Ozpin?"

No one answered as our scrolls buzzed. A simple message popped up with a map and one sentence.

 _Come to my office_.

I looked around. "Well, that answers that question. Jaune, Ren, we gotta go!"

Ren joined up quickly, but Jaune took another few minutes. There were some bangs and a few muffled words before Jaune finally joined us. He looked frustrated, but a pat from Pyrrha had him back to normal. Otherwise, we didn't speak as we wound our way through the academy until we found Professor Goodwitch.

She looked us up and down when we stopped. "Professor Ozpin is waiting for you in his office. Take this elevator and press the button for the twenty fifth floor."

She gestured to the door beside her and left. We didn't have any other options so we squeezed our way into the elevator and suffered the wait as it rose.

* * *

We almost spilled out of the elevator when it stopped and the doors parted, but we had to pause and admire the room.

We were in or just below Beacon's clock, the massive gears turning over our heads. The room was otherwise spacious and empty save for the green light of the tower's lanterns and a single, arched desk standing on four legs. There was a holographic screen on the table's surface, with Professor Ozpin sitting in a chair with arms resembling a split gear.

He stood as we walked forward. "I'm glad you came so soon. Now then, there's something I need each of you to do."

His eyes swept over us. "First… Nora Valkyrie. Please, concentrate your aura in your stomach and let it loose."

Nora recoiled like he'd slapped her, Ren's face going tense right along with her. "Why do I need to do that?"

Ozpin sipped at his coffee. "To prove something. Don't worry, I'll be asking everyone present to do the same."

Weiss stomped forward. "Why should we?! We came for answers, not to jump through hopes for your amusement!"

His gaze bored into Weiss and, for the first time, I saw her back off. He took another sip. "As I said, all of you shall be doing this. Now, Ms. Valkyrie, if you would?"

Nora shared a nervous glance with Ren and my nerves flew through the roof when she nodded. Why was he asking Nora and the others to do the same thing he asked me when I met him? They couldn't be like me, could they?

Nora took a deep breath and screwed her face in concentration. A moment later, my hair stood on end and Nora became surrounded by green tinged lightning while her arms took on a shiny appearance. There were faint patterns on her shiny arms and I couldn't help but be reminded of a butterfly.

Her eyes opened and my guess was confirmed. Her right eye was the same light blue that had such cheer in it while her left eye was an electric green that had no pupil that I could see, just a white circle where it normally was.

Ozpin nodded at what he saw. "Good, thank you. Ms. Valkyrie. Mr. Ren, it's your turn."

Nora sighed and the change faded away. She nodded to Ren and he stepped forward, his aura making my hair stand even higher. He sighed and the change came over him, his arms pulsing with bright blue veins. His eyes opened and revealed what I knew now was a pattern. His left eye was its normal purple, but the other was a violent, raging red with a thin pupil.

Ozpin shook his head. "Thank you, Mr. Ren. I must say, yours is very ironic."

Ren sighed again and his change faded, his face as consternated as the rest of us felt.

"Now, Ms. Nikos."

Pyrrha was obviously nervous, taking a few steps back before Jaune put a hand on her shoulder. I was proud of him for doing that, but my nerves drowned that feeling with prejudice.

Pyrrha took a deep breath before her aura concentrated and my hair turned into a pair of wings. Her change had arcs of electricity run over her skin and small wigs with orange skin sprang from her back with a wet tear. I had to gulp back my bile, but her eyes scared me.

Her left was the kind green we'd all gotten used to while the other was a violent orange that bespoke a desire for blood and death.

Ozpin nodded. "How appropriate. You can let go, Ms. Nikos, it's alright."

Pyrrha loosed a shuddering breath and nearly collapsed as her wings evaporated. Jaune caught her and helped her stand when Ozpin turned to him. "Now you, Mr. Arc."

Jaune scratched at his head. "Uh, I, really can't control my, uh, aura."

Ozpin's eyes narrowed. "It's quite easy. You've already felt it, so reach out for it, grab it, and push it into your core."

Jaune looked to Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, and me before nodding slowly. He took a deep breath and scrunched his face. I knew he was trying hard, but his face was funny. I barely stifled a giggle, before my hair flew into a full-on afro.

His change was at immediate odds with what I knew about him. Scales of gold rippled down his arms and two black horns sprouted from his forehead. Then, his eyes opened, the right a normal deep blue while the left was a violent red with a burning orang iris and horizontal pupil.

Ozpin nodded again. "Hm, how ironic. You're done, Mr. Arc. Let it go and breathe."

Jaune did just that and the changes evaporated into thin air. I gulped, knowing it was my turn next.

Ozpin turned to me and my team. "Now, for Team RWBY. Ms. Rose, I know I've asked this of you already, but there must be no secrets between these teams, not with what comes."

I sighed. "I'd be more willing if you told us what was coming."

Ozpin kept his cool. "All in good time, Ms. Rose. Now, if you would."

I sighed and felt the familiar rush as my aura filled my core. I felt the lightning coalesce around me and my left eye shift. Something new joined the changes, a ring of scales forming around my changed eye.

Ozpin nodded. "Please, turn to the others. They must see your eye."

That was odd. He hadn't asked anyone on JNPR to do that. "Why?"

Ozpin's face remained stoic. "They need to see it. You've seen the eyes of the others, you aren't so special as to be spared from that."

I nodded reluctantly and turned to my teammates. Yang looked sick, Blake looked even more guarded than usual, and Weiss looked furious.

I could guess why for the first wo, but why was Weiss so mad?

Ozpin spoke again. "That is all, Ms. Rose. Relax."

I did, letting the power slip beneath the surface and my body returned to normal. Man, what was going on that we needed to show what were obviously closely guarded secrets?

Ozpin cleared his throat. "Ms. Schnee. Please stop glaring a hole in your leader and proceed."

Weiss would have none of it. "Why should I do anything you say?! MY father will not take this insult lightly!"

Ozpin stayed stoic, unimpressed. "Your father doesn't know, Ms. Schnee. Before now, no one besides yourselves knew about this. Now please, dispense with the empty threats and proceed."

Weiss ground her teeth, the action audible in the near silent room. It was only after Ozpin stared her down that she finally conceded. She took a deep breath like the rest of us and the temperature in the room dropped twenty degrees. Pure white glyphs formed around her and we watched as her canines grew longer than her lower lip. When she opened her eyes, the left was the normal light blue while the right was an ice-blue with a slit pupil.

It didn't detract from her beauty in my eyes whatsoever. If anything, the changes only made her even more lovely.

"That's enough."

Weiss huffed and she returned to normal. Only Blake and Yang were left.

Ozpin looked at Blake. "Ms. Belladonna, if you would. And don't try to weasel out of this, I'm the reason you're here in the first place."

Blake grit her teeth, my eyes gazing at her curiously. What did the Professor mean by that? Blake's gaze turned into a glare, but she complied.

She took a deep breath, but her shadow shot out and formed into an inky silhouette that vaguely resembled her. But what drew my eye was the streak of red lining the double's eyes and the gold eyes with diamond pupils glaring at the room.

Ozpin nodded. "Enough. Dispel your shadow, Ms. Belladonna."

The double vanished and Blake gasped for breath. I guess that had taken more out of her than I thought.

Ozpin turned to Yang. "And, last but not least, Ms. Xiao Long. Go ahead."

Yang scratched her head. "Uh… there's nothing valuable here, right?"

Ozpin shrugged. "Anything you can destroy, Professor Goodwitch can fix."

Yang shrugged and took her deep breath. Her most immediate change was her right eye becoming blood red with a rectangular pupil, but I soon noticed a green slime oozing from her arms and hands.

Ozpin nodded. "I see, very appropriate. Relax please. Oh, and please stand back everyone."

I blinked before noticing that some of the slime had dropped to the floor. Yang had already leapt away and I dashed backwards right before the slime glowed and exploded.

The bang deafened everyone in the close quarters, but the ringing faded quickly. When everyone could hear again, Ozpin tapped his cane. "Hm, not as big a blast as I was expecting."

His gaze swept over our confused and angry faces. "Now then, I can answer what you've been wanting to know. You just have to listen to a bit of background or nothing I say will make sense."

We collectively groaned, even Weiss, but Ozpin ignored us. "First, you should know that the beasts you fought are from old lineages, lineages older than any human line could ever hope to claim. They were among the first species to ever conquer and colonize Remnant when the world was still young."

He took another sip. "They are also the first to ever war with the Grimm."

Weiss interrupted. "That can't be! The Grimm didn't exist before humanity!"

Ozpin stared her down. "What they teach you in primary school is what the majority believe, a convenient way of keeping the curious from the truth. Now, as I was saying, the beasts were the first to war with the Grimm, their shapes and sizes as varied as their enemies."

He started to pace. "The beasts warred with the Grimm for centuries and did the one thing humans have never done. They pushed the Grimm to the very edge of the world."

I gaped, not sure what to think. Neither did anyone else if Pyrrha's words meant anything. "They…nearly defeated the Grimm?"

Ozpin nodded. "Indeed. But, before they could finish the job, humanity came into the picture. Whereas the only negative emotions the beasts could feel were jealousy and rage, humanity offered a great variety of negative emotions for the Grimm to feast on. The beasts, sensing this, declared war on the nascent humans."

Jaune spoke next. "Wait, we should have heard about this! I may not know much, but there are stories that go back to when humans were just tribes. Surely we'd have heard of them."

Ozpin smirked. "Oh, so you do have some grey matter in there. You are correct, we have records going back to the earliest days of human civilization. But, they present the beasts they fought as Grimm, again to hide the truth."

I heard Weiss hide a chuckle at the barb and I had to hide my own smile. Jaune was pretty flighty, but that was just part of the charm.

Ozpin gave me a knowing look. "The beasts nearly drove the human tribes to extinction, but it was the discovery of aura, semblances, and Dust that turned the tide. The beasts were turned away, but no weapon the humans created could kill the beasts. But, they'd found a way to kill the Grimm that hounded them between the beast's attacks and the leaders at the time had an idea.

Ozpin turned and walked to the window behind his desk. "They devised a ritual, one that would defeat the beasts and allow them to focus their energy on the Grimm. Using all the Dust they could gather and the aura of their people, the beasts were sealed into the earth. But, the ritual was not without consequence."

He turned back to us. "When the ritual occurred, the land was but one continent, no islands, and the moon was whole. The beasts attempt to fight the ritual and the enormous energy used to complete it shattered the land into its current shape while the moon broke apart. From there, the beasts were slowly forgotten by all save the ones charged to guard the seal. That's why you hear the tales of the war with the beasts referred to as battles with Grimm."

A faint memory came to me when he said that, even as we all struggled to wrap our heads around what we were hearing. "Hey, Yang? Didn't… didn't mom read us a story about this?"

Yang nodded slowly, her voice subdued. "Yeah… the book talked about 'Grand Beasts', it even listed a bunch of names. I just thought it was a fairy tale, hell the book's back home."

Ozpin nodded. "Right you are, Ms. Rose, Ms. Xiao Long. Only a single book exists that details the names of the so called 'Grand Beasts' leaders and species. In fact, a part of the legend was that the keepers of the seal were all born with silver eyes."

I gulped, feeling all eyes turn to me. That… was a lot to take in, heck all of this was.

Ozpin wasn't done. "But, that seal they were supposed to keep was not perfect. The sheer rage the beasts held at being imprisoned was enough to escape the seal and influence the world. Though, contrary to what you may think, Faunas were not born from that influence. They are a separate species all their own."

Blake stalked forward. "What does any of this have to do with what you made us show?! We want some answers!"

Ozpin sighed. "That's what I was about to get to. Please relax, Ms. Belladonna."

Blake stood down, a growl rumbling in her throat. Ozpin was unperturbed and kept going. "The influence of the beasts was not strong enough to do much of anything, so the keepers ignored it. As time went by, the Grimm lost their original forms and changed to better fight humans. But, as time went by, the beasts influence slowly grew until humans that were compatible began to take on the powers of certain beasts."

Oxygen fled the room, all of us taking sharp breaths. "Professor… what does that mean?"

Ozpin sighed. "It means that each of you holds the power of one such beast in you. It is, by no means, the full power of the beast, but no one has ever lived long enough to see if that changed. People born with the powers would generally start showing traits like what you have shown me when their auras were unlocked, and the people thought such individuals were heralds of disaster."

He sipped again. "As you might imagine, few if any saw the next sunrise."

I turned green at the thought, suddenly very glad Dad was the only to see me like that till now. "But… what does it mean?"

Ozpin sighed. "As I said, I do not know. But, there has only ever been one Icon, what we call the individuals with such powers, at any time. In fact, the last confirmed Icon died a century ago. To have eight of you at once, followed by the reappearance of the lesser beasts, can only mean one thing.

Ren, silent for the explanation, spoke. "The seal's weakening."

Ozpin nodded. "On the nose, Mr. Ren. The location of the seal has long been lost to us, but as you saw, it takes considerable effort to kill even the lowest of the beasts. The Grimm can do nothing either, as it will take them many years to adapt to their return. By the time they did so, the beasts could have razed both human and Grimm to ash on the wind."

Nora groaned. "Ok, that sounds bad, but why are we here?"

Ozpin smiled for the first time since we'd entered. "Simple, you will be hunters and huntresses. With your powers, you are uniquely qualified to go and hunt down the beasts that have escaped the seal. In fact, you are likely the only ones short of the most experienced hunters able to fight the higher beasts."

And so, the point came out. We were not just hunters of Grimm, but also of beasts. That was… kinda cool.

I heard Yang sigh. "Alright, but what can we do about it? Sure, we took down those lizards, but it took four of us for one of them. If they're the weak ones, we won't have a prayer against the big ones."

Ozpin smirked. "And that is why you are here. To train. In addition to your normal curriculum, you will be given special courses to help train the powers you have. You will harness them, control them, make them more efficient, and slowly work them into your own style until your use it as easy as breathing."

Jaune's hand shot up again. "So, uh, what about other people?"

Ozpin shrugged. "I want you all to keep this a secret. Until more concrete evidence of the beasts' reemergence appears, the leaders of the world will simply dismiss the news and you will be arrested and studied. Two measly corpses will simply not suffice as evidence."

Jaune's hand dipped and I just had to ask what Ozpin meant. "When you say evidence, what do you mean?"

Ozpin stared at me. "Why, corpses of course. Both human and beast. By the time, you are ready to go out into the world and the world you enter realizes the problem, we may very well be staring down an army more powerful than any silly machine force Atlas can create."

Weiss looked ready to explode. "Then why don't you tell us what the names of these 'beasts' that are so important are? What do we have the power of?"

Ozpin gazed at her. "Hm, a simple question, but one with no easy answer. The best I can do is tell you the tiers of beasts you will likely encounter, what the names of your beasts are, and what tier they are. Everything else will have to come with time."

Weiss looked mollified at least. That meant no screaming for us, yay!

Ozpin cleared his throat. "The beasts were once classified in terms of stars, one being the least threatening to six being a living cataclysm. Each beast gets exponentially more dangerous with every star, the ones and twos being foot soldiers, the threes acting as captains, the fours as lieutenants, the fives as generals, and the sixes as supreme commanders. Even among the fives and sixes them exist beasts known as 'Elders' that are dangerous enough that one can burn somewhere like Patch to the ground in a single day."

I gulped, not liking that imagery. If Ozpin noticed my hesitance, he didn't show it. "Now, as for the beasts each of you holds, I'll go in reverse order. First, Ms. Xiao Long, you hold the power of Brachydios, a five-star beast."

Yang puffed up a bit, glad to hear she had the power of something awesome.

"Ms. Belladonna, you hold the power of the Nargacuga another five-star beast."

Blake was stoic, her eyes narrowed in thought.

"Ms. Schnee, you hold the power of the Barioth, again, a five-star beast."

Weiss huffed, just glad to know the name.

"Ms. Rose, I'll come to you in a moment. I need to make sure my observation is correct before I can say for sure."

I groaned, tired from the stalling and the long roundabout explanation we'd gotten. The sun was setting for crud's sake!

"Anyway, Mr. Arc, you have the power of the Shagaru Magala, a six-star beast and one of the Elders."

Jaune recoiled. "Wait, what?! I have something like that?!"

Ozpin shook his head. "No need to be so surprised, Mr. Arc. You are still new to your power, so you'd stand little chance against a three-star Icon."

Jaune's mood deflated and Pyrrha gave him an encouraging slap on the back along with Nora. Ren then helped him back up.

"Ms. Nikos, you have the power of the Rukodiora, another six-star beast and another member of the Elders."

That didn't surprise most of us except Jaune. Pyrrha was already very strong from what we'd seen, so why not throw a super powered lizard in there?

"Mr. Ren, your beast is rather ironic. You hold the power of a Grimclaw Tigrex, a notoriously aggressive and rare member of the Tigrex species. It is a five-star beast."

Ren sighed, likely knowing that much teasing would be coming from Nora, Yang, and yours truly after this.

"Now, Ms Valkyrie. Your beast is the Astalos, a five-star."

Nora pumped her fist, glad to not be the odd one out and have something lower than five stars. Now, it was my turn and Ozpin gazed at me, his face unreadable.

"You, Ms. Rose… yes I'm sure of it. Your beast is known as the Stygian Zinogre, or the Stygian for short. It is a five-star beast unique amongst its brethren in that it has the power to slay even Elders."

That… that didn't make sense! He'd just told us that Elders were incredibly powerful! I mean, I just didn't know what to believe anymore.

Ozpin smirked at our confused faces. "I'll leave that particular mystery with you. I have one more thing before you all leave to stew on this though."

He had our full attention, though we were all reeling from the information being thrown at us.

He smiled. "From today forth, when you're taking the special courses, you will answer to the call sign Team JMPR, as you are the first to jump in so to speak. It may not match the names, but it'll do. Now, your combined teams will be led by Ruby Rose. The second in command will be Jaune Arc."

He turned his back to us, staring at the moon. "That is all I have to say. You are dismissed. …Oh, and I wish you luck in the coming term."

He did not speak again and we knew it was time to leave. We just… happened to leave with more questions than answers, all things told. The elevator ride and the walk back to the dorms were quiet, everyone lost in thought or steaming in anger.

We separated in the hall and took our turns in the washroom, still silent. I guess we were all too tired and spun around to think much, let alone talk.

* * *

We all ended up in our beds, but I couldn't really sleep. There was just too much to think about and I needed to do something with my hands. So, I snuck out of my bed and started going through my luggage. A few minutes later, I was staring at a worn old book with a note stuck to the front.

 _Hey, Ruby._

 _I know we had to pack for you to go to Beacon in a hurry, but I wanted to make sure you got this. Your mother used to read to you from this book all the time and I know its special to you. Please, keep it close and remember that your mother and I love you, always._

 _Love, Dad._

I let a sad chuckle past my lips. "Geez Dad… you're such a sap."

But, I could find out what my beast really was now. I knew the book didn't have a lot of details, but it would answer my questions for now. I took a dep breath and flipped to the glossary page in the back and found the entry I wanted. It was faded, but I could still read it.

 ** _Stygian Zinogre._**

 ** _One of the most powerful of the Grand Beasts, the Stygian Zinogre, or Stygian for short, was known as the leader of the Grand Beast's armies. The Elders respected and feared the Stygian for it had nearly unequalled control over the most powerful of their elements, Dragon. The Dragon element was the one weakness of nearly every Elder to exist and even those that were not weak to it still respected its power. It was by this distinction that the Stygian gained the title, 'Slayer of Gods' for its power over the one thing that could naturally topple the godly Elders._**

I couldn't help a low whistle. That sounded freakin awesome, if I do say so myself. I really wanted to go find the entries for the others, but I could feel my scroll buzzing. I opened it and found a message from Plush.

 _To: RoseWolf_

 _From: WhitePlush_

 _Hey, sorry for not messaging earlier. I got stuck in a meeting that took a long time. I don't think you're awake now, but if you are, want to chat? I need to get some stuff off my chest._

I smiled and typed a yes right away. I wasn't expecting a large message to pop up only a few minutes later.

 _To: RoseWolf_

 _From: WhitePlush_

 _Ok, so, I had a hard day in the forest today. My partner kept trying to show off and impress me, but all it did was get us in trouble. Then, we got chased through the forest by a couple a Grimm and we wouldn't have made it out if it wasn't for our other team members and some others. I got stuck on a Nevermore because of them!_

I hummed, tapping back my sympathies. I don't remember seeing any other Nevermores beside the one Weiss and I rode, but Plush may have been in another part of the forest.

Another message popped up.

 _To: RoseWolf_

 _From: WhitePlush_

 _Thanks, that makes me feel better. But, during the ceremony today, my complete ding of a partner got chosen as leader! I don't know why either. Personally, I feel I or one of my teammates was better qualified, but I can't change Professor Ozpin's mind. Besides, they're an immature dolt that I'm sure couldn't lead a horse to water if the river was ten feet away._

I snorted, tapping back a favorite bit of snark that I knew made Plush laugh. After I sent the message, I swear I heard some giggles drift through the door to where the others were sleeping. I just chalked it up to Yang having one of her dreams and looked back to my scroll. A minute later, a new message popped up.

 _To: RoseWolf_

 _From: WhitePlush_

 _Thanks, you really know how to lift my mood ^_^. Anyway, then we got dragged into that long meeting and I got so mad at everything that I was just laying here. I'm trying to be quiet, but I think my dolt of a partner's working on their weapon. They're a real nut with that thing._

Oh, a fellow nut? I tapped back a request for us to meet up the next day, maybe at lunch. I'd bring my team and Plush would bring theirs. I heard a humming through the bedroom door and this time I walked over and peaked through the small opening I'd left.

Yang and Blake were still asleep, that much was clear, but I could see a faint light glowing under Weiss's sheets. My throat went dry and I gulped, trying to calm the nerves that rose in my stomach. My scroll buzzed and I checked the message.

 _To: RoseWolf_

 _From: WhitePlush_

 _That sounds good. Mind sending me a description so I can find you?_

I gulped hard and got my scroll ready. I slowly opened the door and slipped inside before walking to Weiss's bed silently. I typed my message, a simple.

 _To: WhitePlush_

 _From: RoseWolf_

 _Hey Plush?_

My message went off and I heard a buzz from under Weiss's sheets. I could hear her fingers type at her scroll and I barely remembered to silence my scroll when the next message popped up.

 _To: RoseWolf_

 _From: WhitePlush_

 _What is it? Can't make it?_

I took a silent breath and sent my message.

 _To: WhitePlush_

 _From: RoseWolf_

 _Plush… I think I've already seen you. I think I'm in the same room as you. I'm not sure, but can you sit up?_

I held my breath as the message went flying. I could hear the buzz again and I saw Weiss's shadow shift under the sheets. I heard her hum before keys tapped again and another message popped up.

 _To: RoseWolf_

 _From: WhitePlush_

 _Um, ok._

I took a couple steps back and I sighed as Weiss sat up in her bed. We locked eyes and realization lit up her face.

"You!"

I slapped my hand over her mouth and pointed at the others. They'd barely stirred, but better safe than sorry. Weiss's eyes grew before she nodded and I let go. After that, I mimed for her to meet me in the living room and we snuck out before taking a seat.

Silence stretched between us before I spoke first. "So… you're WhitePlush."

Weiss nodded. "And you're RoseWolf. It's pretty obvious now that I think about it."

Silence stretched on again before Weiss sighed. "Ruby, look… I'm sorry. I know, I've been a real pain since yesterday."

I sighed too. "No, no, it's ok. I was being a blockhead and I deserved the scolding."

I looked at her, curiosity slowly taking hold. "So… how did you even get signed up for the messaging program? I mean, you're super rich, you shouldn't have to do that."

Weiss sighed. "It's not that great, being rich. I just get to be a doll for my father and get paraded all over the place. I signed up without his permission. I just… wanted somewhere to vent I guess."

I almost smiled. "You're being pretty straight forward. I was expecting you to tell me nothing about yourself until we were third years."

Weiss shrugged. "I didn't think I'd ever tell you. But, we've known each other for what, seven years? That earns trust if you ask me."

I chuckled, smiling when she tilted her head. "Sorry, I just find it funny that we've been friends online for years but the moment we meet in real life we hate each other."

Weiss cracked a smile. "Yeah, it's pretty ironic."

We shared a laugh before silence fell over us again. I twiddled my thumbs. "Ya know… this is not how I imagined us meeting."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Duh, of course not. No one wants to meet their friend of seven years when they just finished insulting you."

I frowned. "Do you… really think I can't be a leader?"

Weiss looked away. "Ruby… I'll be honest, no. Before this, I was partly jealous since I wanted to be leader, but that's gone at least. Now though, I just think you're too young to be thrust into so much responsibility. I mean, you technically lead two teams."

I sighed. I understood her concerns, but I felt ready for this. "Weiss, I understand. But, Professor Ozpin chose me and I need to do this. I haven't been a leader before, but I'll do my best."

Weiss shook her head. "I'll help. Knowing you, you'll be seven different kinds of peppy in the morning, but not all of us are like that."

I laughed for the first time that night. "Wouldn't have it any other way. Glad to finally meet you, Weiss, even if we got off on the wrong foot."

Weiss stretched over the table and grabbed my hand, shaking it with a smile. "Likewise, Ruby."

We stared at each other before we burst into giggles. We weren't usually serious in our messages and the unusually formal talk we'd just had tickled us.

I was just glad she'd realized what she'd been doing. Now, we just needed to get everything unpacked tomorrow and go to class.

Nothing could go wrong!

* * *

~Morning~

Everything went wrong.

First, we all woke up to get our things unpacked. Then, I accidently sliced the curtains and we had to sew them back together. Then, our beds wouldn't fit so we had to jury-rig bunk beds out of rope and Blake's books. Then, we realized we were late and had to sprint to our first class to make it on time, Team JNPR hot on our heels, to discover the very longwinded Professor Port.

The only interesting part came when Weiss had to fight a Boartusk, but she took care of it easy.

After that it was a swirl of classes until lunch finally came. But, even that was soured by the obvious bullying of a faunas student. I was able to drag her out of that and sat her with us until her team arrived. Her name was Velvet if you must know, and we got introduced to the resident fashionista, Coco, when she left.

Then came the afternoon classes and we all just wanted to slink to our rooms. But, Professor Goodwitch held us back and outlined what we'd be doing for 'supplemental instruction'. In other words, we had three specialized combat classes just for us and our abilities at the end of each day, homework included.

It was that day that you could hear everyone's soul give a crushing wail before withering into a husk.

The one thing that we could all agree on, even the perfectionistic Weiss and Pyrrha?

"Sleep is ambrosia."

~Fin~

* * *

 **Ah, exposition. A time-honored tactic, but of much ill repute these days.**

 **Anyway, hope that answers most questions. There are some deliberately left unanswered, but this wouldn't be fun, or be Ozpin, if he told the whole the truth the entire time.**

 **If anyone requires clarification or further explanation, please leave a review or message me. Otherwise, I hope you all enjoy!**


	5. Target: Qurupeco

**Hello again, all! Today, we cover a bit of the special lessons that our wonderful teams are going through before we start digging into the meat of this chapter**

 **Today, we hunt!**

 _Target: Qurupeco_

After the first week, we started getting used to the workload. It did help that Weiss learning I was her messaging friend mellowed her out.

"Dolt, watch that lightning!"

Well, I guess mellow was a tad strong. She still got annoyed at sis and me when we were trying to goof off, but she only yelled when we did something stupid.

"Watch your feet, Ms. Rose!"

I grunted and almost tripped over the barrier Professor Goodwitch raised in front of me. See, that was the interesting thing about our off-course lessons. We had to do so many different things in the three classes, but each was themed.

The first class had us work in a variety of uneven terrain. You know, jungles, desert, mountains, snow, that kind of stuff. All of that was accomplished with a liberal application of Dust and Professor Goodwitch's Semblance.

However, if we didn't want homework, we had to clean up the mess afterwards. That was fun.

Anyway, the second class was completely underwater. We went to the pool and jumped in, in full gear.

Yeah, that hadn't made anyone happy.

However, Professor Oobleck, who'd been recruited for this class, basically told us to suck it up. In his words, we were 'fools that think every threat comes on solid ground' so we had to learn how to fight underwater. Man, Weiss had been _so_ upset by that; Blake had been as well. First thoguh, poor Jaune had needed to learn how to swim in his gear, otherwise the weight would make him drown.

Now, after that ordeal, we'd been put in a wind tunnel and taught how to fight in the open air. It was… unique. After all, how many people can say they must sky dive __and__ swing a scythe longer than they are at a moving target, simultaneously?

Adding on that there were seven other people in there with you trying to hit the same target?

Yeah… let's just say more than just egos were bruised in there.

Finally, after all that, Professor Goodwitch would get us out. Then, she'd assign us something to do with our powers, Semblances, or weapons. Usually all three. However, our very first assignment was something I don't think even Yang could have thought up.

We had to learn how to… roar.

Yep, roar. R.O.A.R, roar. Trust me, we were _so_ confused, but Professor Goodwitch just told us to scream for as long and hard as we could. We all just looked at each other, but when Goodwitch starts glowing, you start doing.

Just thinking about it made me blush. We all sounded like dying animals, and Professor Goodwitch just stared at us until we couldn't go on. Then, she dismissed us.

And that pattern basically repeated itself the first week. Sure, we got assigned other things to do, but Professor Goodwitch kept making us scream, even when she gave us other things to do.

But, that brings us back to the present. Right as I ran into a wall that hadn't been there previously. I grunted and flipped back, used to the impacts by now.

"Come now, Ms. Rose. You're falling behind the others."

I growled and flashed after the others. Something I'd learned when we'd started this training was that my Semblance and Stygian powers worked in great concert. If I really concentrated, I could go much faster than I had before, but that gave me severe tunnel vision.

So, my face became __very__ well acquainted with a variety of surfaces. Mostly walls.

On the bright side, I was getting better at accessing the power. At first, I could only let it out in a big burst, with the changes overcoming me physically and mentally for a brief time. Now, I could channel a little trickle of the stuff, and make flashes out of the lightning.

Not the most impressive trick, but hey, baby steps.

Anyway, I caught up with the others and stopped myself next to Weiss. She rolled her eyes at me, but I bumped the fist she held out.

Today, we'd just run through a course made to resemble the conditions of an icy mountain. Weiss, forbidden from using her Glyphs until she could run the course naturally, was the last to arrive after me. First had been… Blake I think, followed by Ren and the others trickled in shortly after that.

Professor Goodwitch nodded. "Glad you could join us, Ms. Rose. But, on account of you using your Semblance to arrive, everyone must run the course again."

Everyone groaned and Weiss gave me an exasperated glare. I smiled and scratched my head, not really sure how I'd forgotten that Weiss wasn't the only one who couldn't use their Semblance.

Jaune spoke. "Um, Professor, I know I've asked this already, but can you remind me why we're doing a mountain today?"

Goodwitch, I'll just call her that from here on, stared at him. "Mr. Arc, the reason is to prepare you for possible hunts in Atlas or the Vale mountains. Under that snow can be any number of crevices and caves, and learning to detect them while moving is crucial to your survival."

Jaune sighed, nodding his answer. Goodwitch sent us back to the beginning, and after coming in about the same order as last time, minus yours truly, we got a break. We almost collapsed on the floor, but we were able to make our way to a set of benches bolted to the wall of the room we were using.

Well, it wasn't a room per se. Just a large, indoor space that Beacon used for all kinds of things. Made it a pain to clean up, though.

Pyrrha spoke when everyone had some water. "So, how's everyone been keeping? We haven't talked much since we started on Monday."

Yang stretched. "Ah, you know, keeping busy. We'd have a lot of free time, if it weren't for these extra lessons."

Nora jumped in. "But, we get to do some real cool things! I mean, we get to go skydiving every day!"

Ren pulled her back to the bench. "Nora, not all of us have your level of energy. Besides, I've gotten more than one bruise from your…enthusiasm in that wind tunnel."

Nora pouted. "Meanie."

Jaune chuckled. "Has anyone figured out that roar thing yet? I've been busy."

Blake rolled her eyes from behind her ever-present book. "Please, we all know Pyrrha's been helping you with your form. You guys just head out to the roof and whack at each other until Pyrrha beats you silly."

Yang laughed. "Well, Pyrrha's the best fighter out of all of us. I don't think even I'd win."

Pyrrha smiled demurely before turning to Jaune. "He's already improved a great deal. Give him time, and he'll be just as good as me, I know it."

Jaune glanced away, my keen eyes catching that faint blush. Geez, he was just so funny when he was embarrassed! I coughed. "Well, I got a couple new mods for my sweetheart. I'll be able to use black Dust rounds, once I make some adjustments."

Weiss sighed next to me. "Ruby, we talked about this. Gravity Dust is not meant for casual use, especially in bullet form. The recoil's enough to send a grown man flying."

Yang guffawed. "You should listen to Snowflake over there, sis! Last thing we want is our leader going through a wall since she got too excited."

I pouted, glaring at Weiss out of the corner of my eye. She was giggling on the inside; I could see it in her eyes.

Jaune groaned. "Can we get back to what I was trying to ask? Has anyone figured out the roar?"

Silence met his question and Jaune sighed. "I just can't think of what to do. I mean, how are we supposed to roar? We're humans, not lions."

I hummed, Weiss huffing beside me. "Why do we even do it? We waste time at the end of the day, just to sit around and scream like barbarians."

Yang laughed. "Ah, come on, Snowflake, it's real nice to scream. I mean, we all scream for ice cream, right?"

She looked around, arms open and lips in a grin. We just ignored her, but I caught a smirk on Blake's face.

Weiss continued. "Do __not__ call me Snowflake. Anyway, I see no reason why we sit there and scream. Frankly, it's demeaning, and does nothing to help us learn how to fight."

I didn't really want to agree with that, but Weiss made a good case. Why put that in these special lessons, when it doesn't do anything?

"Hm, I see you're still stewing over it. Tell me, students, why are you here? Answer me that."

Goodwitch walked up to us, her green eyes staring through to our very souls. …Ok that was an exaggeration, but she has intense eyes.

Weiss answered. "To harness the mysterious powers granted to us as so called 'Icons'. In other words, we're still just training to be Hunters and Huntresses, like all of the other students."

Goodwitch nodded. "That is correct, but do you remember what this is training you to hunt?"

Blake answered this time. "Beasts, things that aren't Grimm but are just as good at killing, if not more so."

Goodwitch nodded. "Correct again. Now, can anyone tell me what the difference is between a Grimm, and the Beasts?"

We all paused, not sure how she wanted us to answer. I had an inkling, but it just sounded weird.

"Ms. Rose, I see an idea bubbling in that skull of yours. Care to share?"

I gulped and glanced around. Everyone was staring at me and I could see Weiss giving me a 'just do it' look. I sighed and answered. "Well, Grimm don't really react to outside stimulus. They find things by sensing negative emotions and not much else. The Beasts are closer to actual animals, so maybe they'd be vulnerable to outside influences?"

Goodwitch nodded. "Good, Ms. Rose. While little information remains about specific vulnerabilities of the Beasts, many of the texts that reference them show them to be very sensitive to sound."

That's when it clicked. If we could get the roars down, we could manipulate how the Beasts heard. That was a big advantage!

Goodwitch smirked. "I see you've come around. Now then, Doctor Oobleck is waiting for you next door. I want all of you to try and successfully roar by next week, not just scream. You must intimidate them, and no mere human will do."

We nodded, and then hurried toward the pool. I had to admit, it was nice that we'd finally figured out why we needed the roar. It was just a matter of figuring out what could let us really roar, rather than sound like Zwei with a tummy ache.

My mind conjured a silly image of that sweet little corgi barking at something like that Great Jaggi we killed. I giggled even harder when I thought of the Great Jaggi running away from that little sausage on legs.

I sighed, and tapped Weiss on the shoulder. "Hey, Weiss? Do you think us getting the roars down has to do with our Icon power?"

Weiss sighed, falling in step with me. "I wish I could say. But, I applaud your idea, it was very good reasoning. If you could keep that reasoning in a normal atmosphere, I wouldn't call you a dolt all the time."

I giggled. "Ah, where's the fun in that? Friends annoy each other all the time, and best friends can insult each other without any issue."

Weiss frowned. "Then tell your sister she's not my best friend. I want her to call me by my name, not __Snowflake__."

I shrugged. "That's just Yang. She gives nicknames to everyone she meets, and really likes bad puns. I'm actually kinda surprised she hasn't subjected us to many of those."

Weiss huffed again, emphasizing her displeasure with a stomp of her foot. "Well, I still want her to stop. She's brushed off my every offer for a study group until the night before the assignment's due, and __then__ she comes begging for us to help."

I sighed. "Yeah, she has some bad habits. Nevertheless, I will say there's no one you'd want more in a fight. She cares for her teammates; she just needs time to get over her impressions."

Weiss sighed and nodded. "Well, I know I'd prefer you over her in a fight. I trust you, not her."

That made my heart flutter a bit. I'd made friends before, but I'd never heard someone say they trusted me with such sincerity. Not since Yang.

I smiled and pulled Weiss into a side hug. "You and I are going to be best friends forever, Weiss!"

Weiss blushed at the contact. I'd forgotten she didn't like people touching her, again. "Get off me, dolt! We'll be late if we don't make the pool soon!"

I grinned and saw Weiss glare. "Ruby Rose, if you dare-"

I grabbed her arm and we flashed to the pool, a trail of rose petals mixed with lightning showing our path.

Ah, it was fun to be at Beacon. Especially if I had my friends.

"Ms. Rose, Ms. Schnee! Glad you could join us! Now, since they're late, we'll be doing five more laps, with weights!"

Well, it'd be fun if they didn't kill me first.

 _ _-The next week-__

We stood at attention before Goodwitch, each of us staring straight ahead. Goodwitch paced along, eyeing each of us critically.

"Alright, let's hear it. Give me your best roar, try to make me feel afraid. You won't, but I'll be able to tell if it can scare anything more than a puppy."

She pointed to Pyrrha. "Ms. Nikos, you can start us off."

Pyrrha nodded and we all did the smart thing. We took out earplugs, and put them in.

Goodwitch rolled her eyes before nodding to Pyrrha. Pyrrha took a deep breath before a brief shimmer of black lightning shimmered on her throat, and she let loose. It was still loud, even with the earplugs, but I could at least place the roar as being closer to a keening screech with a rough undertone.

It was funny to realize it was coming from Pyrrha, though. Come on, think about it, a seventeen-year-old girl with looks and a body to die for screeching like a banshee. The force was something else though, considering Goodwitch's hair was pushed back.

Pyrrha finally stopped, panting at using so much air. Goodwitch applauded. "Wonderfully done, Ms. Nikos. Work on the octaves, and you can make yourself sound like a hell beast."

Pyrrha nodded and stepped back, face glowing red.

 _She must be so embarrassed. I wouldn't want to show that off in public either._

Goodwitch turned to Blake. "Ms. Belladonna, you're next."

Blake sighed and stepped forward. I tried to pay attention as everyone went forward, but I just tried to make sure my hearing was ok. First there was Pyrrha screeching, then we had everything from a sandpaper jaguar and a bellowing Ursa, and finally to Weiss's best rendition of a pissed off lion.

Then, it was my turn.

Goodwitch's hair looked like a twister had hit it. "You've all done very well so far. Now, Ms. Rose, if you would."

I nodded and stepped up. I smiled and took the deepest breath I could before letting it all out. I couldn't really hear it, but Yang had described it as a wolf's howl mixed with the sound of crashing metal. It was quite intimidating, if I do say so myself.

Goodwitch nodded. "That's good. So, tell me, how did you figure out how to make these roars?"

Nora raised her hand. "We just focused our aura into our throats! Once we had the… power? Yeah, once we had the power awakened, we just took the Aura it was in and put it in our throats."

Goodwitch smirked. "How droll. But, it is effective, that much I can say. Now, we should vacate the area. I don't think any of you would like to explain to the dozens of students that doubtlessly heard you what those noises were."

We collectively gulped and slinked out of the gym. Blake and I had it easy since we could vanish, but the others had to sneak out. I offered Weiss and Yang to take them with me, but they both told me no. Can't imagine why.

Thankfully, after we'd escaped, a message popped up from Goodwitch saying we had the rest of the day off before reporting for the field trip to the Forever Fall forest in the morning. There was a short attachment at the end of the message, but it looked like only me, Weiss, and Ren noticed it. The others had gone off to do their own things.

We shrugged and clicked the package, scanning through the document silently. I felt nerves crawl into my stomach when I finished. Basically, we weren't going to Forever Fall for the sap, like planned. Instead, Team JMPR would be on the hunt for a pack of Beasts consisting of Great Jaggis, Velocidromes, Iodromes, and something called a Qurupeco. I didn't know what an Iodrome or a Qurupeco were, but Professor Ozpin had the Iodrome marked as a two-star threat, while the Qurupeco was a three-star.

I sighed and closed the scroll. "Well, there goes relaxation time."

Ren shrugged. "It's not all that surprising. We ran into two of them during initiation, so it's not too far out of left field for more to show up."

Weiss shook her head. "Yeah, but this is four Beasts at the very least. Two of them took eight of us, so if we don't divide and conquer, this'll end badly."

Ren nodded. "And there will be other students too. Most of the first years are going on this trip, and Professor Ozpin only gave us a general area to search. How did he even know these things had shown up?"

I shrugged. "I'd put my money on security cameras. However, let's go grab the others, now. We need to strategize."

Ren leapt to his feet and walked towards the cafeteria. Weiss knew where Yang and Blake would be at this point in the day, so I went to grab Pyrrha and Jaune.

As expected, they were on top of the dorms, sparring away. Jaune had improved a lot, especially in such a short time, but Pyrrha was still wiping the floor with him. She had wiped the floor with him once, literally. That was during their first day of training and she wanted to show Jaune her Semblance.

I giggled at that memory, but sighed when Jaune took a hit to his gut and folded to the floor. Pyrrha started apologizing, like always, and I just had to wonder how someone like her could stand doing photo-shoots for cereal brands.

Jaune took the offered hand and Pyrrha pulled him up, the two of them just looking at each other with each other's hands wrapped around their forearms. I started to feel awkward as the silence dragged on, so I cleared my throat.

They jumped apart as though they'd been poked by a burning stick. Pyrrha's face blended with her hair while Jaune tried to salvage the broken moment. "O-oh, hey Ruby! Did you need something?"

I smiled, putting a bit more sugar than I needed to in my face. "Oh, you know, just came to call you back to the dorm. I know we have scrolls but there's no way you've looked at them recently."

Jaune scratched at his head while Pyrrha's face flushed further. "Can you… just tell us what's going on?"

I smirked. "Like I said, team meeting. Team JMPR meeting, specifically."

They grew curious and followed me after grabbing their things. I found Weiss and Ren with our other wayward teammates, and we took a seat at the big table in JNPR's room.

It was somewhat odd, since we'd found out that our hallway ended in a dead-end so our rooms were connected. That had been an awkward discovery since Jaune was the one to walk through while I was doing some delicate work on Crescent Rose.

Needless to say, I was not happy.

Anyway, ramblings aside, we were all business, as everyone got up to speed. I'd even remembered to go grab the 'Book of Monsters', as I had since dubbed it. Therefore, while everyone was reading, I flipped over to the pages holding our two new foes.

Weiss spoke first. "Alright, Ruby, you've been staring at that book for the last few minutes. What's in it?"

Ruby glanced up, a sheepish grin on my face when I realized everyone was staring at me. "Oh, right, I forgot to tell you guys. See… remember that book Professor Ozpin told us about, the one with the details on the Beasts? Well… my Dad had it back at the house, since we thought it was just a storybook. He… sent it with me, without me knowing."

Everyone stared at me before Yang started cracking up. "Ah, that's just like Dad! Always thinking he's doing one thing while doing another. Small wonder mom always had to lead him around."

I giggled, but sent Yang a withering glare. We'd agreed that mom would not be mentioned until we could trust our teammates implicitly, and we were still a long way from that point, regardless of me knowing Weiss.

Yang shrugged at me and Blake went next. "That's convenient. Say, are there passages that describe what we'll be going up against?"

I nodded. "Yep, there are. Says here that GJs howl a lot and are super aggressive. Vs are fast but not the toughest, Is are able to spit poison, and Qs are able to imitate the calls of other Beasts while looking like a Mistral festival."

Everyone stared at me.

I shrugged. "What, I'm just summarizing. The book's really poetic in the descriptions, so I just pulled out the important bits."

Nora tilted her head. "What's with the letters? Are those like, codenames?"

Weiss sighed. "I'm not surprised if they are. Let me guess, GJ is Great Jaggi, V is Velocidrome, I is Iodrome, and Q is Qurupeco. Am I right?"

I grinned. "On the nose, partner mine!"

Pyrrha frowned. "Poison? That sounds bad. How many did the message say there were?"

Jaune tapped at his scroll. "Doesn't say, just the types. Pessimism says four of each, optimism says one of each."

Nora laughed. "Only four of each? Why not, like, eight of each? Or ten?"

Ren sighed. "Because, Nora, we wouldn't need to keep this a secret if there were that many. They'd be sending in the __military__ if that was the case."

Nora smiled. "True that, Ren!"

Weiss slammed her hand on the table. "Stop goofing off! We need to figure out who's going to be going with who, during the hunt. Normally, I'd say partners with partners, but that won't work."

Ren sighed. "I know, I know. My Semblance only makes Grimm ignore me, and testing it on these things, when we're still inexperienced, is a bad idea. Add on Jaune's Semblance being a mystery, and we're short any easy combinations."

Pyrrha sighed. "They're too large for me to use my Semblance effectively too. I may be able to manipulate large amounts of inanimate objects, but anything that tries to struggle is out of my league."

Jaune smirked at her. "Ah, don't you worry. We may not have any easy solutions, but we also have the best fighter in our year with us. Not to mention you got this guy!"

He pointed a thumb at himself and Pyrrha giggled. The rest of us just rolled our eyes. I mean, they'd known each other for little more than two weeks and they acted like love-sick puppies. Well, Pyrrha did, Jaune's skull could split concrete so he didn't count.

Weiss cleared her throat. "Enough, Jaune. Now, as I was saying, we need to put ourselves in units that complement each other. The question is, out of all of us here, who goes best with who?"

My hand shot in the air. "Uh, Weiss, I work best with you. We've been working together in all the partner assignments since the first day of classes and your Glyphs let me change direction midair."

Weiss huffed. "Anyone else think of anything better? Ruby makes a good point, grudging as I am to admit it."

Yang laughed. "Ah, don't be so cold, Snowflake! You two work well together, and I certainly can't help her when she's going full tilt. I'll take Blake, though."

Weiss glared at Yang. "Explain."

Blake did so. "She needs someone to distract the target when her Semblance runs dry. My clones can do that without issue, and I'll hit any weak points she makes pop up."

Blake's smug grin infuriated Weiss, I could tell. Yang's equally smug grin just made it worse. Thankfully, Nora jumped in. "I'll take Pyrrha! She can help me if I get a bit too excited and overextend."

Pyrrha smiled. "Sure, if you keep your hands on Magnild. I can't help you if there's nothing to grab."

Ren sighed. "Well, that leaves me and Jaune. We'll take care of the Vs I guess, since we both have an idea on how to fight that one."

Yang stretched. "So… we basically went with partners minus a two-woman switch? Man, talk about fluff."

Weiss growled, but I got in the first word. "Alright, you know what that means!"

Everyone stared at me, excitement clear in each of their eyes. Oh wait, they were looking at me in dread, I was just so excited that I thought they were excited too.

"Weapon mods!"

 _ _-Hours later-__

"Alright, I think that's good!"

I folded Crescent Rose carefully and tucked her into my locker; my eyes alight with pride. I heard some groans behind me, but I ignored them. All the prep work was complete, now we just had to go face the big lizards and get the job done!

I shut my locker and turned around, blinking when I saw only Yang and Blake. Yang was snacking on something I couldn't make out while Blake had yet another book in hand. I could tell she liked it if the intense gaze in her eyes meant anything, but I couldn't figure out why she kept shifting her legs.

I shrugged it off and grabbed some heavenly cookies and a glass of milk, sitting down and inhaling my snack. Yang answered my question before I even thought to ask it. "If you're wondering where Snowflake went, she's in the shower. Said something about scrubbing away grease."

Ah, that explained it. I'd been super excited to get into the gears of Weiss's rapier, but it'd had taken much more lubricant than I ever thought possible to get all the gears running smoothly. She could switch Dust vials in a split second now, but I just __knew__ she wouldn't speak to me for a week after the hunt tomorrow.

One does not ruin the clothes of Weiss Schnee and not get scolded out of their shirt.

I sighed and sat back. "So, Yang, why Snowflake for Weiss? I thought you'd be a bit more insulting."

Yang shrugged. "Eh, I would've if she'd kept being mean to you. I had even thought of calling her 'Ice Queen', but she mellowed enough for me to call her a special little Snowflake."

I rolled my eyes. "And what's Blake's nickname? I know you've come up with one, but you haven't shared it."

Yang smirked, eyeing Blake's fascinated gaze. "Hey, Bellabooty!"

Blake jolted, glaring at Yang. "What did you call me?!"

Yang laughed. "Come on, that's too easy! Not my fault your gear shows off!"

Blake growled. "Call me that again and I'll jam Gambol Shroud in your eye."

Yang just kept laughing, and I decided to leave before this got worse. I wandered into our room, and started writing out another entry in my journal, not caring about the crashes and shout s coming from the other room. It was actually nice, if I do say so myself. It just felt normal and normal was sometimes the greatest thing in the world.

Now if Weiss could just finish up in the shower, I could hit the sack…

I sighed and pulled out a Grimm Anatomy assignment. By the time Weiss got out of there, I could finish this whole thing.

Which I did… along with my Combat homework, history homework, and survival quiz…

I wasn't getting to shower tonight, was I?

 _ _-Morning-__

I didn't get to shower.

By the time Weiss finally came out of there, I was dead to the world. Yang got to shower, Blake got to shower, but I didn't. Now I felt all icky and looked like a mess while we were waiting for the bullhead to take us out to the Forever Fall forest.

Weiss wasn't looking at me, while I could hear Yang snickering along with Nora at my poor state. I guess this was my punishment for ruining Weiss's clothes.

 _Geez, now the other teams are giving me weird looks too. The only consolation I can take is that Penny won't be going to the forest until later today._

Oh, before you ask, Penny was a friend I'd made last week. She was an odd girl with red hair and green eyes, but she was friendly and I liked talking with her. However, she also followed me around from time to time, and had this disposition to make sure I was ok whenever I was uncomfortable. It was as though she was a robot.

I shook my head and stood ready as Goodwitch walked up to us. "Good day, students. I hope you're all ready to go on this lovely trip. As you all know, there are Grimm in the Forever Fall forest, but I will be accompanying you to keep them away. You are to focus on your objective: retrieve the sap."

Her eyes trailed over to team CRDL, her eyes narrowing at the four boys. "Also, know that any interference from other teams is prohibited. We are here for one thing, and it's not petty feuds."

I glanced over to team CRDL and wondered why they were trying to look innocent. "Hey, Blake, what's the story with them?"

Blake glanced over. "Oh, them? They're the local bullies from what I hear. They've been giving the Faunus students a hard time, and I hear they don't like Pyrrha, since she always beats them so easily. Hopefully they don't pull something stupid."

I sighed, but almost yelped when Goodwitch popped up in front of me. "You look worse for wear, Ms. Rose. Be glad that Grimm can't sniff you out, because I certainly can."

I cringed, looking away from the disapproving stare. Goodwitch walked away. "Come along students, we have a long day ahead of us."

I dragged myself into the Bullhead, and sighed when only Yang sat next to me. I knew I stunk, but come on!

Yang started playing a game on her scroll, so I just looked out the window the whole trip. The Forever Fall forest was well known for its pink trees that had a super sweet sap in them, as well as being known for the large concentrations of Ursai that lived there.

It was something of a rite of passage to get the sap if you were a student at Beacon, or that's what Yang told me. I took everything she said with a grain of salt, though, especially after the "Baked Bean Fiasco" that happened when I was ten.

On the bright side, the trip was quick, and Team JMPR was walking through the trees with little issue. Goodwitch had been kind enough to point us in the Beasts' last known location, and the prints left in the soft earth were easy to spot.

Ren stopped us. "Hold up, the tracks vanished for two of them. The largest, and the one that belongs to the V."

I smiled, proud that we'd started using my designations. "Ok, so, that means the Q took off. But, where'd the V go?"

Jaune yelled from the left, the familiar blue scales of the Velocidrome flashing over his body. The raptor skidded to a halt and screeched at us, making us scatter into our groups. Ren and Jaune would take care of this one, while Pyrrha and Nora hunted down the I. In the meantime, Blake and Yang would go after the GJ while Weiss and I got the Q.

…Man, that shorthand sounded weird in my head.

As for why Weiss and I got the big guy? Well, it could fly, and Weiss's Glyphs let us fight that thing on both land __and__ air. I was also the best aerial fighter of our group, as shown in our training.

Weiss and I were already running through the woods when we heard roars come from behind us. It sounded like Jaune and Ren were using what they had to take that V down.

"Hey, Weiss!" I called. "What do you think this guy looks like? If he's big, shouldn't' we have seen him by now?"

Weiss huffed, skating on one of her glyphs to keep up with me. "That book of yours said it was green. We should see it from a mile away with all the pink around us!"

I sighed. "Why are you so mad? Don't you have, like, seven dresses exactly like that one?"

Weiss rounded on me. "That dress was expensive! In addition, it was my favorite! I tried repeatedly to go get changed, but you kept dragging me back!"

Oof. "Hey, I know I'm zealous, but you should've just told me!"

Weiss's voice took on a growl similar to her roar. "I did!"

We were about to get into it when a strange honking exploded above us and I ran into a webbed red tail at top speed. It was heading toward me and I felt my aura barely stop the recoil before I went flying through the woods.

"Ruby!"

I could tell it was Weiss's voice, but I had to roll away from a big orange bill clamming into the ground next to me. It dug a deep hole into the ground and it kept coming so I kept rolling. It wasn't until a blast of fire from Weiss slammed into my attacker stopped the assault.

I finally got a look at the Beast that had jumped me and felt myself stare. It was a big bird with an orange beak and green scales with lighter green feathers and red skin on its wings and tail. Black rocks sat on the tips of its wings and a big red oval sat on its white underbelly.

It scratched at the ground and took a deep breath, the red oval expanding into a big sack before screaming a roar that was one part goose, one part avalanche.

I took that challenge personally, answering with my own roar. It flinched visibly at the sound and Weiss took the opening. She flew forward on her Glyph and dug Myrtenaster into its wing. It screeched in pain, and then flung Weiss back into the woods, a sick crack echoing a moment later.

I pulled out Crescent Rose and sent five rounds of fire at it, but it charged through the bullets and swung its leg at me. I jumped over it and started running around it, gulping when I saw the gashes its talons had left in the tree where I once was.

It kept after me, swiping with talons, tail, and wings, but I pushed my Semblance to the limit to outrun it. For something so large, it was fast and accurate. I threw in some of my own attacks as I ran, but nothing did anything more than scratch it.

I growled, but yelped when I felt a Glyph launch me into the air, away from another tail swipe. Weiss was back and she looked __pissed__. I heard Myrtenaster's gears flip and fire bloomed on Weiss's blade. She swung and sent a needle of fire at the hole she'd punched in the Q's wing, but it got the fire on one of the black nubs at the point of its wing.

I could have sworn it smiled and started slamming its nubs together, sparks flying when they hit. I had a bad feeling about that.

"Weiss, get out of the way!"

She didn't listen, so combination of pride and distance making her ignore me, and she sent a lance of lightning forward. The Q leapt over the energy, its wings spread wide, and slammed its nubs together where Weiss had once been.

A blast of fire and sound sent Weiss rolling away, even as the Q leapt at her again. She flipped away, but it kept going, each blast coming closer and closer to Weiss. At that point, I had no choice but to grab Weiss. Unfortunately, she kept rolling and dodging around the thing.

I groaned and shot forward, burying my blade in the thigh of the monster as it wound up for another attack. It howled and started kicking hard, trying to dislodge me, but I held on and started formulating a plan.

 _We need force to get through this guy's scales. Not even my sweet heart's doing enough to even hurt this thing… Wait, that's it!_

I pulled myself off its leg, but it spun around and kicked me across the woods, one of its talons piercing my aura and digging a bloody furrow into my side. I grimaced in pain, but ran over to Weiss's side and pulled her away, running until we couldn't hear the Q anymore.

I panted, the adrenaline from the encounter fading. It hadn't been that long, but the sheer relentlessness of the Q surprised me to no end. It just kept coming and coming, using everything from that club of a tail to its claws to try and kill us. Then, there was the fact it apparently had some kind of flint on its wings that caused freaking explosions.

I rounded on Weiss when I caught my breath. "What was that?! Why did you stand your ground against that thing?!"

Weiss shot up. "How was I supposed to know it could cause explosions by clapping?! Besides, you just ran at it and I had to improvise!"

My frustration grew until I felt my side pulse in pain. My grimace made Weiss's face soften. "Where'd it hit you?"

I grabbed my side. "It's nothing, just a scratch."

Weiss wouldn't hear it. "Like I'd believe that. That thing's talons are longer than Myrtenaster, there's no way it's just a scratch."

I grimaced again, but she forced my hands away and gauged the wound. Her frown deepened when she moved some of the cloth away. "Ruby, this cut nearly got through your muscle. Two inches deeper and it would have disemboweled you."

That… was bad.

Weiss sighed. "Thankfully, your Aura's already starting to heal it. It'll take time to heal, but you should be just fine, as long as you don't take any more hits there."

I nodded and sat down, looking at the Q's blood staining Crescent Rose. "Ya know, Weiss… I think I have an idea to take that guy down."

Weiss sighed. "It's the Glyph platforms, right? May I remind you, I was the one who came up with that."

I giggled, smile awkward. "Oh, right, silly me. But yeah, can we do that? I'll need a lot of Glyphs if it's going to work."

Weiss sighed. "I'll need to use a lot of power and concentration for that, Ruby. I'll need to access my…inner Barioth? What can we call the Icon powers that make them sound less awkward?"

An idea came to me. "Beast mode?"

Weiss gave me a flat glare. "No, not that. Something short and sweet."

I had another idea. "Jam?"

Her face grew annoyed. "And why jam of all things?"

I shrugged. "I dunno, just thought it could be a code word. Ya know like, 'I need a lot of jam for this' in case we have other people around us."

Weiss sighed. "We'll think on it later. Anyway, it'll take a lot of power. You have to be ready to go when I say go. Understood?"

I nodded before the world blurred and my arm erupted in pain. I barely heard Weiss shout my name before I was shaken like a rag doll.

My Aura barely kept my arm attached, but I found myself flying through the air and rolling on the ground a moment later. The Q had hunted us down, and if the mangled mess that was my left arm meant anything, it was out for blood.

I don't know why I didn't feel any pain, even as I saw blood leak down the torn flesh and disjointed bones, but I knew this had to be done quick or I'd pass out.

I could see Weiss's Aura flare, her eye changed, and solid Glyphs imprisoned the Q. It slammed and crashed against the ice, but Weiss's rage was absolute. I took advantage of the opening in the ice and leapt into the dome. MY semblance came to life, and I reached for my jam, it was fun to say, infusing my limbs with the lightning and feeling the tunnel vision take hold.

I held Crescent Rose to my side and I started to jump, my weapon nothing more than a flash of light as my speed let the metal cut deeply into the Q's hide and meat. It screeched at every attack, the sounds morphing from wails of anger to wails of despair as it realized it was trapped.

My final slash opened the sack under its throat, blood splattering both the dome and me. With a pitiful groan, it flopped to the ground and grew still, blood pooling on the ground.

I escaped the dome as the ice fell apart, shards peppering and puncturing the mangled corpse.

I sighed in relief, glad that it was over. To think, a three-star monster had taken so much damage and hadn't gone down until I'd essentially ground it into beef. Weiss was beside me instantly, eyes wide in panic. "Ruby, your arm! We need to get you back, now!"

I smiled at her. "I'll… be fine. Message the others, they should be done by now."

Weiss shook her head. "Dolt, can't you tell when your hurt? What would you do wi-"

Weiss vanished, my eyes struggling to comprehend what just happened. I turned slowly until I came face to face with the Q, rage burning in its orange eyes. Its tail was still raised, and I just knew that it had swung it with all the force it had.

I turned around and found Weiss crumpled against a tree, one of her legs at an unnatural angle and one of her arms had an expanse of white bone sticking out of it.

My eyes turned back to her attacker as it roared loud and hard into my face. My hair was blown back from the force, and sound fled me. I only felt a warm trickle escape my ears and saw the jaws of the Q open.

Then, I knew no more.

 _ _-Night-__

I… wasn't dead.

That didn't make any sense. I'd just been deafened while the Q was getting ready to kill me. What happened?

Wait… what happened to Weiss?!

I shot upright, but groaned as pain burned through my body. I recognized that I was in an infirmary, many years with Yang told me as much, but only one other bed was occupied.

"W…Weiss?"

My throat burned as I tried to speak, the parched flesh begging for water. I could feel my left arm was in some kind of sling, but I was able to sit up and gingerly set my feet on the cold floor.

I stumbled to Weiss's bedside and almost collapsed when I found her breathing, her arm and leg in casts. She was alive, despite everything, she was alive. I started crying, not bothering to hide my face when I heard the click of a cane on tile.

Professor Ozpin sat next to me, customary mug in hand. Silence stretched between us until he spoke. "I'm glad to see that you are awake, Ms. Rose. This may seem insensitive, but do you remember what happened?"

I shook my head slowly. "Water?"

Ozpin nodded and handed me a glass on Weiss's bedside table. I gulped it down greedily and spoke again. "No, Professor, I don't. The last thing I remember was the Qurupeco roaring at me."

Ozpin nodded. "I see… Ms. Rose, I must confess something. I did __not__ expect you to try and split up to fight the beasts. I was expecting you to track them down one at a time and end them."

I sighed. "In hindsight… that was probably the best idea. We'd have had a much easier time with the Qurupeco if we'd all been together."

Ozpin sighed. "Indeed, but now you've seen the ferocity up close. Clearly, the Q, as you've called it, is quite intelligent. It knew that it would die if your onslaught in the dome continued, so it played dead. Grimm go until they die, the Beasts do not."

I nodded. It was a hard lesson, but now we'd learned. "Professor… who saved us? Did my sister get there before the Q could finish us?"

Ozpin shook his head. "No, Ms. Rose. Professor Goodwitch is the one who found you, standing atop a pile of mangled meat and scales, with Ms. Schnee leaned against a tree. As for how you killed it well…"

He gestured to my left arm. "The sling's no longer necessary. Take off the bandages and I'll explain."

I frowned but did as instructed. The sling came off easily, but my stomach started to roll as I unwound the bandage. My face slipped into a horrified visage when my arm revealed itself. Ugly black and red marks ran up and down my arm, starting at my bicep and ending at my wrist. They showed horrifying images of violence and slaughter, and the marks pulsed with light in time with my heart beat.

I turned from the marks to Ozpin. "What… happened?"

Ozpin sighed. "To put it in simple terms, you went feral. Your beast mentality took over, and now you bear the mark as a sign. Should you access that level of power again, without training, it will become ever less likely that you shall return to us."

He sipped his coffee. "Essentially, the more feral you become, the more like the Beasts you become. It grants you unmatched power, going feral, but do so too much ,and your teammates must kill you."

He placed a hand on my shoulder, but I didn't feel it, my mind long since stalled.

"I'm sorry."

 _Ch. End_

 **So, who like using 'jam' as a reference to the powers?**

 **…** **Too soon?**

 **Well, in any case, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as it will be the last for a time. I have other stories that desperately need updating after all!**

 **Again, please, leave a Fav Follow, or Review, they're super motivating!**

 **Have a great day!**


	6. Waking Up

**Howdy!**

 **I know** **it's** **been a** ** _very_** **long** **time since I've updated this story, and I'm really sorry about that. School more or less absorbed my time to the point I updated only one more story a month ago.**

 **Anyway, today marks a shift in the narrative. We will be following Weiss's point of view this chapter, if only to give our favorite Ice Queen's side of the story now that** **she's** **waking up with a broken arm and leg despite going into the fight with full aura!**

 **Should be fun…** **Unless she gets mad at me.**

 **Quick, to the story before I get discouraged!**

 _Waking Up_

The first thing I remembered was pain.

Liquid fire raced through my veins as my leg and arm dangled like twigs from a windblown tree. Then, blackness joined that pain until a soothing coolness rained over me and I finally rested.

From there, my mind was blank, wandering an endless abyss for who knew how long. The only thought that haunted me the entire time seemed so trivial when looked at objectively, but it followed me all the same.

 _Is Ruby ok?_

I don't know how long that thought echoed through my mind, but I do know that when my eyes opened, the sun was just peeking through the windows.

 _Wait a minute,_ I thought with an all too easy frown, _Windows?_

As my mind further waved away the fog enshrouding it, my gaze started to recognize other things around me. Beds, white sheets, curtains, heart monitors…

I gasped and tried to sit up, but pain lanced through my right arm and left leg. I barely kept myself from squealing from the pain, a Schnee did not squeal, after all, but it was close. After the pain faded to manageable levels, I looked around with a clearer, more alert mind.

 _What happened? I was talking with Ruby about our battle plan,_ _then_ _I went flying. After that_ _it's_ _just… pain._

My eyes finally landed on the source of my pain, my right arm and left leg held in slings and immobilized by plaster.

 _Ok, so_ _that's_ _why I'm in such pain._ _However, my Aura was nowhere near depleted while we were fighting, I could have taken a pair of tank shells with what I had and kept going._

I groaned, my eyes narrowing in anger. _Geez, now I have to deal with_ _Xiao-Long's_ _teasing and Belladonna's insufferable smirks. Not to mention Ruby being all fussy-_

My eyes flew open, my thoughts screeching to a halt. "Ruby!"

Apparently, I'd yelled that with my mouth, not my mind. It was only through the grace of fate that no one was there to see me make a fool of myself. However, it was a small, indignant part of my mind that sighed in relief at that fact. The rest was making my eyes cast about for my erstwhile partner.

Thankfully, Ruby had the courtesy to be easy to spot and close by. In fact, her head was right next to my uninjured arm, with little snores rising from her form. Relief flooded my mind, the sudden relaxation nearly sending me back to sleep, but I picked up some whimpers that just didn't… seem like Ruby.

"No… don't leave… I'll be good… Mom…"

That last word made me frown. There had been little talk of our personal lives, none of us were that close, with Ruby and Yang being the obvious exception, but this felt wrong. I remembered little of my mother, other than that her death had made father into a cold, cruel man, and how she'd sing a lullaby to me when I was a child.

So, why did it sound like Ruby's mother left her? Who would _ever_ dare break the heart of such a sweet girl?

My thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of a door swishing open, an older woman with light brown hair and wearing a white coat walking in. She saw me awake and sent a gentle smile my way as she approached. "Well, it looks like our other patient is awake. How do you feel, any pain outside of the casts?"

I smiled at her, my old lessons telling me to be polite to the doctor. "I'm ok. A little parched, but ok."

My voice sounded parched too, crackling in the morning air. The doctor nodded, and held out a bottle of water to my good arm. "Good, good. Well, not to ruin your morning or anything, but you'll be in here for a few days. Medicine may have made great strides and your Aura may be strong, but broken bones always take time. After that, it'll take another few days of light training before your muscles get back to normal."

I sighed, not very happy with that prognosis, but I was smart enough to realize she was being serious. "That's… disappointing, but not all that unexpected. Um, is she ok?"

I looked to Ruby, who was now mumbling about cookies, rather than a mother that was leaving. The doctor smiled at her, but I spotted a glint of frustration in her eyes. "Ms. Rose is ok, just exhausted. Headmaster Ozpin has requested that I keep quiet about anything further until you both are awake, and your team can join us."

I narrowed my eyes at her, but her face had the look of someone that would not budge. "Very well then. Can you inform Headmaster Ozpin that I have awoken, then? I would like to speak with him, about how I got here with my partner."

The doctor nodded, a scroll appearing in her hand before she started tapping away. "Oh, I'm Dr. Nadya, so you know. I'm the head doctor this year, since our previous head retired a few months ago. I'll be checking in on you from time to time."

I smiled politely. "A pleasure, doctor. Not to be rude, but when do you believe Headmaster Ozpin will arrive?"

Dr. Nadya rolled her eyes, pointing to the door while she did so. "Three… two… one…"

Right on cue, the door swished open once again and Ozpin walked in, flanked by Professor Goodwitch and Doctor Oobleck, while Belladonna and Xiao-Long followed behind them.

A blonde blur that could only be Long flew towards my bed, stopping just short of wrapping her younger sister in a vice grip. "Ruby!"

Poor Ruby squealed in alarm as her rest was interrupted, nearly jumping clean over my bed. It was with some consternation that I watched… Yang, it was easier than Xiao-Long, don't judge me, jump after her.

Ozpin left _that_ pair of dolts to Goodwitch's tender mercies, instead taking a seat next to me. "It's good to see you up, Ms. Schnee. You and Ms. Rose gave us all quite the scare, when Professor Goodwitch found you _broken and bleeding_ next to the beast's corpse."

I shook my head. "What… what happened, Professor? The last thing I remember was making a plan with Ruby, and then nothing."

Ozpin sipped at his coffee, like always. "Well, Ms. Rose explained it to me last night, after she woke up. Apparently, the Qurupeco was able to sneak up on the two of you, and clubbed you into a tree with its tail. Your Aura subconsciously flew to the protection your head, neck, and torso, which is why you're not in a full body cast, by the way, but left your limbs vulnerable. They pulled you in with four compound fractures."

That information made me turn equal parts pale and green. My frown must have been more severe than usual, because Ozpin smiled at me. "Now, to at least spare you the worry, the rest of your teammates made it out without any broken limbs. The worst anyone had beside you was Ms. Valkyrie suffering a gash on her arm."

His gaze became serious as death. "Unfortunately, I do have to tell you all some bad news. Ms. Belladonna, Ms. Xiao-Long, please come here. You too, Ms. Rose."

Blake, I'll call her by her first name too I guess, didn't look all that interested. When it wasn't a mission, the girl had the disposition of a lazy cat. Yang rocketed back to my bed with Ruby in tow, her grin at odds with the fearful glances she kept throwing Goodwitch's way.

Doctor Oobleck finally spoke. "Headmaster, are you sure we should share this without Team JNPR present? They are just as deserving to know of this."

Ozpin shook his head. "They still sleep and I do not wish to wake them now. They will learn of this in short order, I assure you, but those closest to the issue must know immediately."

Oobleck frowned but acquiesced. "Very well, but I must return to my lessons. So you girls know, the after-hours training will be suspended this week to allow for Ms. Schnee's recovery. But, in the meantime, I want you all to discuss your battles, and come up with a plan for each beast. I want a copy of that plan on my desk by the time lessons resume."

He turned on his heel and blurred from the room. I heard Yang groan at the prospect of having to write a report, but I, for one, welcomed the idea. The last thing we wanted was to be as unprepared as we were this time, especially since that unpreparedness nearly got Ruby and I killed.

Ozpin stared at us, his mug going to the side table before he spoke again. "Now, first things first. I commend you all on taking down a pack of the beasts, two of which you had yet to fight. But, there is far, far more to criticize."

His gaze scanned over us. "First, you split up. Against creatures that can tear through Death Stalkers and Nevermores like they don't exist, that is the height of foolishness."

Yang protested. "Wait, if we didn't split up, they could have attacked the other students!"

Goodwitch answered. "Do you really believe I would let the uninvolved students anywhere near the hunting grounds? While the initiative is to be applauded, none of you are experienced enough to fight these beasts in anything less than full teams."

Ozpin nodded. "Precisely, and this goes along with my second point. You approached this fight as a Grimm hunt, even though these are not Grimm. The Qurupeco hunted Ms. Rose and Ms. Schnee down by following their scents and the sounds of their voices, and used your inattentiveness to its advantage. Had there been simple Grimm, you could have discussed for hours, but that was not the case."

He steepled his fingers. "In other words, you approached this mission far too lightly. Had there been not but three-star threats, I have little doubt some of you would be dead. In fact, the most important thing I need to tell you is the _only_ reason Ms. Rose and Ms. Schnee are still with us."

Our heads were all facing down at the end of that lecture, my pride especially taking the blow hard. He was right; we had approached the mission far too lightly. We went in with the confidence that we were still facing things only a little better than Grimm, and we paid for it.

We needed to be better, all of us.

Even with that introspection, I did note Ruby trying to curl in on herself. She was covering her left arm specifically, the one I remembered that cursed bird breaking in its jaws. I barely had time to think on why she was doing it when Ozpin spoke again. "The reason they still breathe is because Ms. Rose did something that had only been theorized, never tested. To put it simply, her power overwhelmed her and she went feral. It granted her power far beyond that of the Qurupeco and she slaughtered it, to the point the body was unrecoverable. But, she almost attacked Professor Goodwitch when she arrived, and it was only the onset of exhaustion that kept Ms. Rose from suffering quite the headache."

His eyes scanned over all of us, but my attention was on Ruby alone. "This could happen to any of you, especially in desperate situations. We fear that, should this happen often enough, the power will overtake your minds and render you permanently feral. At that point, you are a threat to all those around you and you _will_ be eliminated."

He sighed and stood. "Forgive the bluntness, but I felt you deserved to know the truth. Ms. Rose, when you feel ready, show them the markings your episode left. I must go inform the other half of team JMPR of what's going on, in addition to their part of the lecture."

He gave us one more look-over, before leaving. Goodwitch was still there, but I wanted to know what Professor Ozpin had meant. "Ruby… what marks is he talking about? Did you hurt yourself?"

Yang glared at me like I'd committed a grave sin. "Did you hurt yourself, Rubes? You can tell me, at least."

Her eyes went from me to her sister and I felt downright insulted. Did she think so little of me that I couldn't ask? I wanted _oh so badly_ to give her a piece of my mind, but Ruby hadn't answered yet.

As I had learned over our time together, and over several years of correspondence, a silent Ruby was not good. If she was silent, she was both nervous and scared to the point of muteness or was plotting truly epic revenge.

My lien was on the former.

Ruby didn't speak, instead shakily holding out her left arm for us to see. At first, I didn't see anything too out of the ordinary, just some dark spots, but when I narrowed my eyes I felt gorge rise in my throat.

The spots were actually a series of images that were connected by faint lines; they depicted scenes of violence and death, each showing a large, wolf-like creature tearing into a variety of creatures, ranging from Grimm to humans. The worst was that it seemed to… pulse, for lack of a better word, with red, every second or so.

Blake shied away from it. "That… doesn't look nice."

Yang grabbed for the arm, her eyes turning red, while flame started sputtering from her hair. "What is this, what does this mean, are you ok?!"

Ruby's head curled against her chest, a quick flash of watery silver eyes making my oft-neglected protective instincts rise from the dead. "Let her breathe, Yang! You don't see me screaming in her face!"

Yang rounded on me this time. "Well excuse me for being worried! Besides, it's your fault she got into that mess in the first place; you don't have the right to be worried!"

Pain shot through my limbs as I tried to move, but anger kept my mouth going. "Excuse me?! I have _just_ as much of a right to worry about my partner's health, specifically _because_ my actions led to her getting hurt! I want to do all I can to rectify my _failure_."

Yang's hair started swishing of its own accord, the normal gold lightening to a yellow-white. Goodwitch chose then to step in. "Girls, calm down. Ms. Xiao Long, may I remind you the one you're arguing with is currently injured? And Ms. Schnee, there is no need to raise your voice here either. Now, give Ms. Rose some space, and calm your egos."

I huffed, but let my anger slide beneath my usual mask. It only made the pain more acute, but I could live with it. Yang took several deep breaths, before her hair settled down, and her eyes changed back to their usual lilac.

Blake scooted closer to Ruby, leaning close and whispering something I couldn't hear. Whatever it was, it made Ruby look up and put on a brave face. "Sis, Weiss, its ok. I'm glad you're both worried about me, but I really don't want you two to fight. It took us long enough to just be friends, so I don't want to be the source of any wedges, ok?"

I didn't say anything, not willing to look at how cute her face was. Yang looked away too, but she at least offered an olive branch. "Alright, fine. Look, Weiss, I'm sorry for yelling. I just get really protective of Rubes and it's been that way for a long time. I know she's strong and can take care of herself, but I'm her sister, ya know?"

I felt the sting of that unintentional reminder. "No… I don't. But, I understand what you mean at least. I apologize for raising my voice at you, and I apologize for making you uncomfortable, Ruby."

Yang grimaced, but Ruby reached over to take my uninjured hand. "It's ok, Weiss. Now, about the marks… well, they basically mark that I've gone feral once. By my guess, they'll get bigger and more elaborate the more times it happens. So… if we ever had incentive to get better, there it is!"

Her smile was at odds with the morbid statement, but it made me smile right along with her. If there was one thing I admired about Ruby, even though she was a dolt that liked to goof around a lot, was that she could make everyone smile right along with her.

Blake stretched and stood. "Alright, now that that's cleared up, I'm going to head back to our dorm. Doctor said you'd be out in a few days, right?"

The question made me finally remember the weight on my limbs. "Yes, sadly. Don't touch my stuff, and if I find my card maxed, I'll speak to none of you ever again."

Blake smirked but sauntered from the infirmary. Goodwitch shook her head, likely wondering about the swift change in atmosphere, before turning and following after Blake. Yang made Ruby tell her she was fine several more times, before she left too.

That left just me and Ruby, all alone in the infirmary. There was an awkward silence that stretched for what seemed like an eternity before Ruby tried to get a conversation going. "So… I forgot to mention this, but when I went feral, the power healed my arm. It was pretty messed up before that happened."

I sighed, cradling my head with my free arm. "Yes, please, brag to the girl with broken limbs. Why don't you help me out with those working arms of yours and bring a TV or something over here?"

Ruby chuckled awkwardly and went to find a TV. I just nestled back into my cot and tried to make myself comfortable, my thoughts turning to our adversaries.

 _If those were the low end of the spectrum, then what kind of demons are the five star beasts?_

I shook my head of the thought, instead sending an exasperated sigh Ruby's way as she wheeled a TV before me. "Mind putting on a movie or something? Something that's _not_ a cartoon this time."

Ruby smiled before pulling out a remote and taking a seat next to me. I slowly smiled as an old favorite of mine came on, and I settled in for a few days of boredom and Ruby.

The last part made it tolerable, if only just.

 _-?-_

Rage…Pain…Rage…Pain.

That was all there was in that frozen moment in time. That, and a flash that had stolen away their victory, their moment of triumph over the creatures that had given the Old Enemy such strength.

Then, after an eternity, there was light. It was only a pinprick, but it was gripped with all the strength that could be given. Slowly, ever so slowly, the light widened and brightened. With it came smell, taste, hearing, sight…

Relief.

For the first time in millennia, a cracked maw breathed the breath of life.

All around the crevice, other forms stirred and stone cracked. Only the cracked maw that had breathed was of the great ones, but many of the lower ranks woke with it. After its first breath, the great one's tongue whisked over its maw, and it gazed out to the field of blue below it.

Its jaws curled into a vicious grin, the orange of its eyes flashing in the afternoon sun.

There was a whole sea before it to conquer once more, and a shining coast only a few miles away, where the few great boats it could see were heading. It leaned forward and fell from its perch, steam fleeing from its glowing skin as its metabolism kicked in again.

Steam erupted from the water at the bottom of the crevice, a dark figure slithering out into the sea.

A veritable horde of sea dwellers followed the venerable Lord of Hell into their old domain, each eager to await the time when they would spring from the seas once more.

All when the Great Elders woke.

 _Ch. End_

 **Well, Weiss, it looks like you will be dealing with sea monsters far earlier than any of you were expecting. Hope you remember those lessons with Professor** **Oobleck!**

 **Anyway,** **I'd** **like to thank everyone who's reviewed, followed, or** **favorited** **the story thus far. Again,** **I'mvery sorry for the frankly unacceptable wait time between chapters, but I now bring you this as a peace offering.**

 **Thought, I must ask. Can any of you guess the identity of that great lizard that leads the sea beasts?** **It's** **not the** **Ceadeus, I'll tell you that much!**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the chapter. Next time we get some more character interaction before we have to deal with an angler problem and some overly large sponges!**

 **Should be fun!**


	7. Everthing Happens in Town

**Ah, another chapter!** **Today marks the 'official' end of Volume 1 (As in what we see in the show, somewhat) as the girls head out to town and discover thieves and monsters aplenty!**

 **Though** **who walks away from the exchange in one piece is another matter entirely. J**

 **Now, no more stalling!**

 **Show time!**

 _Everything Happens in Town_

 _-Ruby-_

The first meeting after Weiss woke up was more than a little awkward.

See, I just liked being able to help my friend while she was recovering, but absolutely _everyone_ wanted to talk about how our first real mission as 'Big Game' hunters went.

The title was Yang's idea, blame her.

It was a team JMPR only meeting, every last one of us squeezing into the area around Weiss's cot the day after she woke up. I, being both leader and Weiss's partner, got to sit right next to the cot, while the others had to figure themselves out.

If Nora decided using Ren as a chair was a good idea, it was ignored.

Besides that, the meeting quickly turned into describing how their fights had gone down. Jaune and Ren's fight had been pretty straightforward, as they'd already seen a Velocidrome in action. While it still hit hard, a liberal application of their well practiced roars made it consistently flinch.

It was just a matter of going for the fleshy bits after that.

I was more than a little embarrassed when they mentioned the roars, since Weiss and I both forgot about them, but Pyrrha and Nora's account made me blush in shame.

They'd gone after the Iodrome, and shared the memory of the outright noxious smells of the slime it spat at them. Some of it had splashed onto Nora's arm, where a claw had opened a gash during a charge, and immediately made the area go numb. She hadn't been able to think on it that much, but she'd kept up a full body Aura barrier the rest of the fight, as did Pyrrha.

Nora was the one that did most of the damage to the lizard, what with Magnild being able to shoot grenades when transformed, but it was Pyrrha that delivered the death blow. She'd ripped Milo through the poisonous sack under the Iodrome's chin, leaving it to bleed out.

Nora had then smashed its skull in, just to be sure.

Yang decided to recount her and Blake's fight with the Great Jaggi, with all the embellishments one would expect from her.

Using my patented Yang translator, I was able to deduce what actually happened.

So, the GJ was able to sniff them out, and had then tried to ambush Blake. Instead, it got a jaw full of rock, while Yang sent several straights into the side of its skull. After that, it was more cautious, and only attacked Blake with its tail or claws.

Yang got a little too excited as the fight dragged on, charging in when she thought the raptor didn't see her, only to be sent flying through some trees by a tail swipe. Her Aura and Semblance had absorbed the damage, and Blake had used her own power to summon the sturdier clone, the one with red eyeliner, and lassoed the beast's feet.

Yang had returned just in time to see Blake sinking her blade into the back of the raptor's skull, a few rounds from Gambol Shroud making sure it stayed down.

Blake rolled her eyes at the end of the story. "Yang's excitement aside, it was much easier to fight the beast on flat ground. Not to mention, we weren't caught by complete surprise."

Nora giggled. "You didn't roar either! What's the point of doing all that screaming if you don't even use it?"

I sighed, making the others look at me. "Well, it still felt like we were, you know, going after Grimm. How many times have we been told to make as little noise and light as possible?"

Weiss huffed. "More times than I care to count. My every instructor told me to be as quiet as possible, so that the Grimm couldn't use what little hearing they have to track me. These… things are another story entirely."

Ren shuffled, trying to look over Nora's shoulder. "In any case, we came out of our first official excursion alive. Weiss may be the most injured of us, but I think we should take it as a lesson."

Yang chuckled. "Yep, don't argue when a murderous parrot is coming for your icy ass."

Weiss's glare could have frozen fire, so I stepped in. "Yang, not while we're in the infirmary. Besides, we can take a break for a few days, right?"

Jaune's tongue stuck out in thought. "I… think so? Professor Goodwitch hasn't said anything to us, but I got a message from Professor Oobleck saying our lessons were canceled for the rest of the week."

Yang's eyes lit up. "Sweet! When did the doc say Snowflake was getting out, two days?"

I glared at my sister. "She said it would be a few days before Weiss could leave. Earliest guess would be Friday, but my Lien's on Saturday."

Yang shrugged, grinning at an amused smirk on Blake's face. "Well, that lets our little princess get all cozy before we hit the town. Sound good, partner?"

Blake shrugged, smirk still in place. "I'm just interested in seeing the festival preparations. Not a whole lot of rich folk around right now."

Weiss growled at the jab, even if Blake wasn't being totally malicious about it. I, on the other hand, decided to stand up for my injured friend. "Come on, that's not nice! Sure, Weiss is kind of snobby, and a little bossy, but she's not one of those rude people."

Weiss's glare went right to me and I silently cursed my big mouth. I couldn't help being honest, that's what made me so lovable!

Pyrrha cleared her throat. "Sorry, but can I point out something that's been bothering me? It's about a report I saw on the news this morning."

All our eyes turned to her, curious eyes shining. Pyrrha pointed to the TV that lay across from Weiss's cot, a remote flying into her hand via Semblance. "Here, I think they're still talking about it."

She flicked on the TV and switched to the local news channel. The usual anchors popped onto the screen, sound picking up in the middle of a sentence.

"…and the preparations are still under way. Now, for those of you just joining us, we have another update on the strange find that appeared at the docks this morning."

The anchors were replaced with an image showing the Vale docks, police and onlookers alike surrounding a cordoned off section as one of the anchors started speaking. "Early this morning, one of the ships out in the bay hauled in a strange catch. The crew was unsure what the creature in question was, but scientists that arrived on the scene a few hours ago have been able to give a preliminary report."

The image of the docks was replaced with a picture of a large, green reptile with webbed feet, an oar like tail, short, sharp claws, and a long snout full of curved teeth. Its face was frozen in a snarl, the eyes wide even in death. "The scientists have determined that it is a hitherto undiscovered species of aquatic lizard. The surprise comes in the size of the lizard and what it could possibly prey on, as fish are insufficient as a diet for an animal of such size."

The picture disappeared and was replaced by the anchors. "That's the most current update we have. We'll be sure to bring you any further updates as they become available, but for now, the Vale council has announced the closing of all beaches un-"

Pyrrha flicked the remote and the TV grew quiet. "That's my concern. It wasn't as big as the beast's we've fought, but I'm concerned it's a sign that they're starting to appear in the sea."

Nora nodded, finger tapping her chin. "Yeah, that's not good. Professor Oobleck may be training us to fight in water, but those things look like they'd swim circles around us before we could break anything."

I frowned. "Um, I could check in the book. I don't have it with me, but if someone's willing to go to the dorm?"

Yang popped to her feet. "Say no more, little sis. Yang's on the case!"

A cloud of dust in Yang's shape marked her departure, the rest of us ignoring her antics. I didn't need to leave a dust cloud, so why should I pay attention to such a thing?

…Ok, I wanted to do that with my Semblance at some point, don't judge me.

That didn't mean anything at the time though, so I started up another topic. "I hope that thing's not in the book. I'd really like to go see the festival preparations before having to write that report for Oobleck."

Team JNPR's eyes snapped to me, their faces disheartened.

"A report?" Nora whined. "Why do we have to write a _report?_ "

I shrugged. "He wants us to think on what we did, and write up a plan if we run into those lizards again. Far as I can tell, he wants a plan for each of the ones we fought, but I'm not sure about anything else."

Ren sighed. "I'll send him a message asking for more details later. What's taking Yang so long?"

As if invoked by the words, the door's swished open and my sister skipped inside. One hand held the worn book I'd asked for, and the other held a bag with something delicious smelling in it. "Someone ask for a delivery?"

She plopped in her seat before handing me the book and rummaging through the bag. "Thought everyone'd appreciate some snacks while Rubes there scanned the book."

Yang produced a variety of treats, the package of cookies going to yours truly, but Weiss waved away the offer of some kind of bread. "I hate cinnamon bread, they put too much of the spice into it."

Yang pushed it forward. "Come on, a little spice might warm up that cold attitude."

I sighed, pausing in my reading. "Yang, come on. Not while I'm trying to see if the news was serious."

Yang smiled at me. "Wouldn't be me if I didn't joke. You have to admit, Snowflake's an easy target too."

I glanced at Weiss, but her glare didn't stop my own jab. "True, I guess. The reactions are worth the price of admission, but not the scolding if you ask me."

Weiss had the look of one who wanted to prove me right, but she just huffed and settled back against her pillow. With that over, I went back to scanning through the 'Book of Beasts', as I'd come to call it. Several minutes passed, with only random chatter filling the air, but I didn't see anything that was similar to the creature we'd seen outside of one entry.

I pointed to it, reading the passage out loud to myself. "The Royal Ludroth is much larger than its smaller kin. Its other distinguishing feature is a large, mane-like organ that stretches from its jaws to its torso. The organ can hold large amounts of water that the Ludroth can then concentrate in its jaws and fire with the force of a cannon. It tends to be the dominant predator of ocean shallows and rivers."

There was even a small illustration of the RL, as it shall be known in code from here on. It was super stylized though, so I couldn't really tell if it was all that accurate to the thing we'd seen on TV.

I noticed no one was speaking, so I looked up from the book. "Uh, sorry. Can't say I found anything all that useful, only the Royal Ludroth entry had anything that pointed to smaller versions. Problem is it looks like it has a mane of some sort, so I don't think that creature's related."

Jaune had a look of disappointment on his face. "I guess we'll just have to do the reports then."

There were groans of varying intensity at that, only Weiss keeping her face neutral. "I think it's a good thing. The better prepared we are, the less likely this is to happen."

She gestured at her casts, the point made without further discussion.

Pyrrha stood and stretched. "I think it best that we go ahead and get started on that report then. Jaune, Nora, why don't you come with me to the library?"

Nora popped out of Ren's lap, fist in the air. "Let's do this! The sooner it's done, the sooner we can go to town!"

Yang cheered right along with her, everyone but myself leaving to go get started. Ren promised to send any extra information about the report their way before he left, but that was it.

Now alone with Weiss, I could already see frustration brimming in her eyes. "Sorry, Weiss. I know you're left handed and writing's not going to be easy."

Weiss frowned. "I'm predominately left handed, yes, but I can write with my right hand just fine. Would you mind getting my materials? I'd like to get started as well."

I nodded and took off; wondering about what we'd do when this trip to town that everyone was talking about came around.

Honestly, after that we just worked on the report. Nothing exciting happened while Weiss was in the infirmary, or when she got out, so we were able to get the reports done pretty easily.

I only had to beg for help once.

 _-Ozpin-_

The days after Ms. Schnee woke up were one headache after another.

First, there was that strange creature that showed up. I wasn't sure how a local fishing boat had been able to catch such a large and obviously dangerous creature, but Port had been able to determine what the scientist's already knew.

Such a creature would need much greater prey than the local fish in order to survive, and it had the distinct organs that belonged to almost all female reptiles.

The scientists had been asked to keep that piece of information quiet, of course, because it meant something very unfortunate.

The Beasts were starting to appear in the sea now, where the kingdoms were weakest in terms of defense. It made sense that the defense was weak there, of course, what with most Grimm being sky or ground bound, but it was concerning none the less.

Then, there were the reports of ever more thefts of Dust in the city. The attacks seemed random at first blush, but even a cursory investigation revealed that the thieves were organized and after one thing in particular, the Dust.

What they were planning to do with so much Dust was a mystery, but I can't help but think the Witch is behind all this. The problem was tracking down and eliminating her agents, before the seal on the Beasts got any weaker.

If an Elder awakened at this point, the damage could be catastrophic.

Now, I was in my office, contemplating how we could go about trying to stop the heists _and_ focus on the beasts, when I got a call on my personal line.

I tapped a button on my desk. "What is it, Glynda?"

Glynda's voice filtered through the speaker as her face appeared on the desk. "Headmaster, we have a situation. How soon can you make the docks, the leisure ones specifically?"

That made me pause. "Thirty minutes, at most. What happened?"

Glynda shook her head, voice heavy. "It's hard to explain without seeing it. Please, join me at dock six as soon as you can."

The call cut out, Glynda hanging up. I sighed at yet another possible complication before dialing the staff's Bullhead pilot. "Jordan? I need to be at dock six in Vale, immediately. Leisure dock six, to be specific."

I heard the good man tell me they'd be ready to go the moment I arrived before hanging up. As I made my way to the elevator that would take me down to the hanger's path, I felt a strange sense of foreboding.

It looked like I'd have to move up Amber's timetable, if what this feeling told me was right.

 _-Dock Six-_

As I'd said, the trip to the docks took less than thirty minutes.

I was met with the usual set of whispers and stares that accompanied one of my renown, but I ignored them in favor of Glynda glaring out at one of the docks.

"What's the problem?" I asked as I walked to her, "You rarely require my input on anything."

Glynda simply pointed her 'wand', as I was fond of calling it, towards the pier. "See for yourself."

I followed her wand and felt my eyes narrow at the sight. It was a small sport's boat, made for maybe five people at most to go cruising in the shallows or fishing.

The only problem was that a good chunk of it was missing. Judging by the twisted fiberglass and metal, it looked like something had taken a bite out of it.

I turned to Glynda. "Any casualties? It looks like something a Grimm would do, so I'm not sure why I'm here."

Glynda sighed. "No one was hurt, thankfully, but the two who were on the boat say that they were cruising through one of the shallow parts of the bay when they bumped into something. After that, there was a violent shaking before they were thrown to the front of the boat. When they got their bearing, they saw a large, flat shape submerging while a chunk of the boat was missing."

I grunted. "They're lucky it missed the engines. Were there any other details, or is that it?"

Glynda nodded. "Yes, one of them saw the shape seemingly dig into the sand on the reef floor before everything went still. Said it had a purple hue to it from what he could tell."

I cradled my head, trying to think of anything that could match that description. "I… don't know this one. My knowledge of the enemy is great, but there are things that were lost to time. It's not a Grimm, that's for sure, but I know only the most common beasts and their leaders. The middle ranks are lost to me."

It was unfortunate, but we'd do what needed to be done. "Lock down the shallows for now. Glynda, I want you to grab Oobleck and find this thing. If you can, deal with it. The last thing we want is to try and send the team against an unknown right now."

Glynda sighed. "Understood; I'll tell the police to do just that. We'll try and deal with it before the festival preparations get delayed."

I nodded. "Good. Mass panic will only gather the Grimm, and those thieves still need to be dealt with before they start impeding our Dust reserves. We have much to do yet before rest can come."

Glynda shook her head before striding off to talk to one of the police officers in the area. I turned back to the idling Bullhead, pulling my scroll out to message the students.

Hopefully they weren't already in town, or this could get bad fast.

 _-Ruby-_

Why were we heading for the docks, again?

Our trip to town was just good ol' team RWBY right now, since Jaune ended up falling behind on report and all. Weiss had just waved them off with an oddly cheery smile, the grin not vanishing even as they flew into town.

Then, Weiss had started gushing about the planning and logistics necessary to make the Vytal Festival happen. While Yang could have phrased her comments about the gushing better, I did agree that Weiss tended to get excited about very dull things.

I sighed as the docks came into sight. "It smells like fish here, why are we even at the docks in the first place?"

Weiss crossed her arms. "I heard there'd be students from Vacuo arriving today for the festival. As a student of Beacon, it's only right that I greet them."

Blake didn't miss a beat. "She's going to spy on them so she has an upper hand in the tournament."

Weiss didn't deny the accusation, but my gaze was drawn down a street we were passing. "That… doesn't look good."

The others looked down the street, our feet carrying us up to a line of police tape in front of a busted up shop.

I looked to one of the officers. "Excuse me, what happened here?"

The officer glanced at me. "Robbery, second Dust shop in the past week. Damn city's turning into a jungle."

He turned away and started talking with his colleague, but we could still hear them. "So, they left all the money, right? What on earth could someone need so much damn Dust for?"

The other officer shrugged. "Got me. Chief said it may be a White Fang raid for supplies, but they'd at least take some money or hit another spot."

Weiss scoffed at the name. "White Fang, awful bunch of thieves and murderers."

Blake glared at her, showing a rare flash of anger. "What's up with you?"

Weiss turned around, surprised. "What's up with me? I simply do not care for criminally insane individuals who make life difficult for honest people."

Blake seemed to take exception to that. "The White Fang are a bunch of misguided Faunus, and there's no way this could be them. Why just rob a Dust shop in downtown Vale?"

I stepped in before it got ugly. "Weiss, Blake's got a point. Besides, remember that Torchwick guy I ran into a few months ago, the one I told you about when I was explaining how I got accepted? Maybe he did it?"

Weiss huffed, but had to get one last shot in. "It doesn't mean the White Fang aren't scum. That lot of Faunas only know how to lie, cheat, or steal."

Yang stared at her. "Uh, you sure you want to say that? I believe Velvet's handed you your butt on more than one occasion."

Weiss sniffed. "She is an exception. Velvet is a credit to Faunus everywhere, and I refuse to see people degrade her for simple heritage."

I had been watching Blake during that whole exchange, and she looked shocked at that final proclamation.

Naturally, something decided to interrupt us.

There was a commotion back by the docks, so we walked over to see what was going on. When we got there, we watched this blonde guy in a white jacket and jeans leap over the side of the boat Weiss had pointed out earlier and run up the pier. The most important part happened when he climbed up a lamp post and held on with his tail.

Yep, he had a tail, a monkey tail specifically. The crewman were yelling at him for being a 'no-good stowaway' while he retorted that no-good stowaways get caught. From there, the police told him to get down, he ran up and by us, and we gave chase.

Considering the speed he was putting on, it was pretty obvious he was one of the Vacuo students Weiss was talking about and she needed to 'observe' him.

I was going to need to talk to her about her wording at some point. Yang had far too much fun teasing me about the accidental innuendos I made; she didn't need Weiss being added to that list of victims. It's what friends did.

Sadly, the chase came to an end when Weiss rounded a corner and ran smack dab into a pedestrian. The Faunas boy disappeared from sight thereafter, making Weiss glare after them.

I, on the other hand, noticed the person Weiss had pushed down. "Weiss, get off of Penny!"

Weiss looked down only to be greeted by a big grin and even bigger green eyes. Weiss squeaked and jumped back, allowing Penny to stand up.

"Salutations!" Penny greeted enthusiastically. "My name is Penny, pleasure to meet you… Oh, Ruby!"

She skipped forward and pulled me into a _crushing_ hug. "Penny… choking, not breathing!"

Thankfully, she let go. "Oh, sorry! I have a hard time not hugging my friend."

I could see the others giving Penny some strange looks. "Uh, hate to say it Penny, but we got to go. It's nice to see you though; we should chat if there's time later."

Penny smiled, "Great, I'll see you then!"

She turned and walked away, allowing Yang to look at me. "So… she doesn't understand personal space, does she?"

I sighed. "Not… really. Look, I know she's really awkward, but she's really sweet too! You just have to be patient."

I perked up immediately afterwards. "Oh, I forgot, she'll be taking part in the tournament too!"

Weiss's face went flat. "She doesn't look the part _at all_."

Blake rolled her eyes, "Says the one that fights in a dress."

Weiss crossed her arms, a defiant fire in her eyes. "It's a combat skirt! It's specially made for fighting!"

I had to get in on this one, my Semblance carrying me to Weiss's side. "Yeah!"

A hand was given and I slapped it with vigor. We were skirt sisters, and that made us best friends.

Weiss had an idea spark in her eye. "Wait; if she's in the tournament… could she know that monkey-tailed rapscallion?

Blake took umbrage to that statement, again, and so the arguing began and went on.

…All the way back to the dorm.

At this point, even team JNPR had joined us in the dorm room, if only to offer solidarity as the two of them bickered back and forth.

I sighed as the arguing slowly died off and Weiss finished describing what the White Fang had done to her life. "Weiss… I'm sorry."

Weiss ignored me. "You wanted to know why I despise the White Fang? It's because they are liars, thieves, and murderers who have made my life hell!"

Blake's mouth moved before her mind, I could tell by the sheer emotion that came out. "Maybe we wanted our lives to not be the hell they already are!"

Dead…silence.

It wasn't every day your teammate, and the girl your sister had a not so hidden crush on, basically confessed to being a member of a terrorist group.

Blake's mind caught up to her before ours did and she flat out ran. I could have out-sped her if I _really_ wanted to, but something in the back of my mind stopped me.

I guess, for all my talk of being friends, I still felt betrayed.

No one moved for several minutes until Ozpin himself poked his head into the room. "Ah, I see most of you are here. Ms. Belladonna seemed to be in quite the hurry, but I'll speak with her later, I suppose."

Weiss recovered from her shock. "Headmaster, you have to go after her! She just told us she's part of the White Fang!"

To the shock of everyone, Ozpin just stared at Weiss. "Former, Ms. Schnee, former. I won't give you the girl's backstory, but she left the White Fang quite some time ago."

Pyrrha frowned. "They have deserters? First I've heard of that."

Ozpin shrugged. "Of course you wouldn't, do you really think the White Fang wants people to know that their members leave? The damage to their reputation among the desperate would destroy their attempts to appear legitimate."

He turned his gaze to Weiss. "Then again, bias, and how young you all are paint how you see the group. Believe it or not, the White Fang were originally a peaceful gathering of Faunus who petitioned and rallied for their rights. They didn't turn to violence until their attempts proved fruitless, and the leadership changed."

His cane clacked against the floor as he walked in. "I'm not here to give a history lesson though, that's Professor Oobleck's job. Instead, I've come to warn you that a subset of the Grand Beasts, known as Leviathans, have begun to appear in the shallows around the docks."

Jaune shook his head. "Seriously? It's just one problem after another, isn't it?"

Nora jumped to her feet. "Then we go find Blake and sort this out! Fighting these guys is a lot more important than fighting over the past."

Weiss refused to let it go. "How do we know she's not a mole? A sleeper agent? We're putting ourselves and the school in danger!"

I had enough, this wasn't the Weiss I'd come to know while she was just WhitePlush. I sprang to my feet and grabbed her arm, dragging her into the bedroom and slamming the door.

I let go and rounded on her. "Would you just stop? There has been nothing but a hateful spew coming out of your mouth for a long time, and I refuse to sit there and listen to your trash!"

Weiss's mouth opened, clearly offended, but I cut her off. "I have never seen someone pull so many 180s in a single day then I did with you! You went from gushing over logistics to calling Faunus insane, to reversing the claim, then reversing _that_ , before calling someone who's saved your damn life, when she _knew_ who you were, a mole! Make up your damn mind!"

See, the nice thing about being so amiable and nice all the time was that when I was mad, people listened. It takes a lot to get someone like me steaming mad, and since it was Weiss I was mad at, I allowed a bit of my power to run through me, just enough for my eye to change.

Considering Weiss's jaw had clicked shut, it had worked.

I took a deep breath. "Weiss, you've been talking to me unfiltered for seven years, yet not once have I seen you talk like such a bigot. I understand the White Fang have made your life hell, and I can understand why you hate them, but this is Blake. If she was like you think she is, why the hell are you still alive?"

Weiss was silent, her face growing pensive. If I had to guess, it was probably the first time she'd let her indignation stop interfering with her mind on the topic.

Eventually, she sighed. "Ruby, I can't help it. The only Faunus I've ever actually interacted with have either been assassin's coming for my head, or Velvet. As you know, the former are far and away the majority that I've seen."

A frown stretched across her face. "I… guess I can add Blake to that list though. It's just… geez, don't give me that look."

I was using my infamous puppy eyes, or Zwei eyes as Dad called them, so, you know.

Weiss shook her head. "Ok, look. Let's go out and look for her tomorrow, and I'll at least hear her out. If she makes a good case, I'll apologize, but I reserve my judgement until then."

I sighed, putting a hand on Weiss's shoulder. "That's all I'm asking. We're teammates; we should be able to trust each other, regardless of what our pasts are."

Silence stretched for a minute before a thought came to me. "So, what kind of Faunas do you think Blake is? My money's on panther."

Weiss snorted, actually snorted. "I'd put it on her being a cat, it'd match how she acts when she'd bored."

We laughed and left the bedroom, finding the others still sitting around while Ozpin was gone. I put on my leader face and started giving directions. "Alright, here's what's going to happen! Blake has gone MIA over our own inability to think straight, and now we have to find her. Tomorrow, we scour Vale like we're looking for the best damn chocolate chunks in the history of forever! Who's with me?"

Smiles abounded at that, ayes filling the air shortly thereafter. I grinned and gathered everyone around the table.

It was planning time.

 _-Vale Docks, Two Days Later-_

Blake _really_ did not want to be found.

Everyone had been up and down the entirety of Vale twice in the past few days, and we still couldn't find her. We'd run into Penny several times, and my sister and Weiss had abandoned me every time she showed up, but she didn't know anything either.

It didn't help that Penny had pointed out just how obvious it was that Blake was a Faunas. Her bow was in the exact right place to hide ears, and she ate tuna almost religiously.

Talk about a blow to the ego.

Anyway, night was starting to fall when we got a call from Pyrrha. I made sure it was on speaker after we found a private corner. "Go ahead."

Pyrrha's face appeared on the scroll. "We haven't found anything, but Ren wanted to ask what the exact root of the argument that started all this. He says it may give us an idea."

I looked to Weiss, who only scoffed. "It was about the White Fang, you know that. It started in front of a Dust store that got robbed."

Ren's voice came over the scroll. "Did you imply that the White Fang were behind the burglary?"

Weiss grew unsure. "I…guess."

There was a sigh before Ren spoke again. "She wants to believe that they didn't rob the store, it's a classic sign of someone that's been part of a group for a long time. She'll likely be looking for any large amounts of Dust and hoping the White Fang don't attack them."

Yang hummed. "There are only seven Dust stores in town and security's been ramped up hard after the first two got robbed. There's… seven of us, so five can be spared to look at the stores."

Weiss jolted back, apparently remembering something. "Wait, there's a big shipment of Dust coming into town from Atlas, my company specifically. I remember getting a memo on it, and it's supposed to be the largest shipment of the year."

I snapped my fingers. "Alright, we'll split up! Weiss and I will go to the docks, Yang, I want you and the others to fan out and search the shops. You don't find anything, you come find us."

Yang gave a thumb up. "Leave it to me! I'll be back in a jiffy."

She grabbed a nearby pole and started climbing up the building, disappearing onto the roof a moment later. Pyrrha's voice finally came over the scroll again. "Alright, I informed the others. We'll see you in a bit, don't try and catch her without us if you find her."

She hung up before I could respond. With Weiss and I the only one's left, we ran towards the docks. I may not have mentioned it yet, but the traversal lessons we'd been having with Goodwitch helped immensely in getting through the crowded streets.

Oh, what I wouldn't give for a clear street.

Thankfully, our parkour was good enough to get to the docks with little trouble. The only problem was the sight that greeted us when we got to the holding area of the SDC shipment.

There were several bodies with a red beast's face on their torsos gathered off yo one side, obviously unconscious. There were also two wrecked Bullheads and a few fires across the ground. I also caught a glimpse of the one and only _Roman_ _Torchwick_ flying away with two other bullheads firing everything they had at something behind a big stack of crates.

Oh, and blood. Lots of blood and a few fleshy bits.

Before my bile could stain the ground with it, I heard a grating screech followed by what looked like a ball of water flying into the air and busting one of the bullhead's engines. The doomed craft tried to stay up, but it couldn't stay airborne and crashed into the ground.

Weiss shook my arm. "Ruby, I hear fighting! One of the beasts must be here."

I shook my head and we jumped to the top of the crates, stopping short at what we saw.

It was a big area, enough room for any of us to fight without having to worry too much. The problem was the number of mutilated corpses that bore the White Fang's mark and the huge, green lizard with a mane the looked like a sponge.

I gulped. "Royal Ludroth."

Weiss gulped too, likely trying to not vomit. "It's the killer, there's blood all over its jaws and claws. Splattered over the body too."

The RL screeched again and I could see water start gushing to its mouth. There were a couple figures leaping about its serpentine body, one yellow and one black, but they didn't stop it from launching another sphere of water.

The water ball slammed into the front of the remaining bullhead, the force enough to smash the glass inwards and send the bullhead crashing to earth.

I finally got a good look at the black blur. "It's Blake! Weiss, try and freeze that overgrown crocodile in place, I'll cover you!"

Weiss only nodded as Myrtenaster's chambers spun into place. A glyph appeared under her feet and she skated off to join the fight. I planted my darling's blade into the crate below me and lined up my shots.

 _Ok,_ I thought, _let's_ _see if I can put something in this bastard's eyes… wait, is it laughing?_

It sure seemed like it. The thing's jaws were open in a perverse smile, and there was some kind of shrieking cough coming from its throat, even as it thrashed and swiped at the ones attacking it.

I watched as its tail caught the yellow blur flat footed, sending the figure flying into the wall. When the dust settled, I realized it was the monkey Faunus we'd been chasing a few days ago.

 _Well, if_ _he's_ _helping, I can't complain. Now then, aim…_

I took my time lining up the shot, though it was hard to ignore the bangs and crashed that happened every time the RL decided to strike. Some superficial wounds had made their way onto its hide, but it was giving Weiss and Blake a tough time.

Then, my opportunity arrived.

The RL reared back, water flowing to its maw, when I lined up my sights and planted a solid shot straight in its eye.

The beast roared in agony and surprise, thrashing about in a desperate attempt to hold off its attackers while it regained its bearings. Weiss took advantage and channeled her power, solid Glyphs of ice surrounding the beast's limbs and holding it down.

Blake, ever the opportunist, jumped onto the back of the beast and started slashing at its mane, water flooding the ground with every slash. The monkey guy jumped and started using its toes as batting practice.

By that point, I saw another yellow blur shoot over where I was standing, along with an orange shape. The yellow blur landed on the RL and started sending blow after blow into its side, a green slime congealing wherever the fists connected.

A moment later, the slime glowed a violent orange and exploded, making the beast shriek. The sound was shrill and hurt my ears, poor Blake clutching her head as she tumbled off the beast's back. Yang, for who _else_ had slime fists, caught her before she hit the ground.

I could see the Glyphs holding the beast back cracking, so I flashed to the side of the orange shape that was smacking away at the tail. "Nora, how much lightning can you make at one time?"

Nora paused. "Uh, enough to jump start a car if needed. Why?"

I groaned. "Dammit, that's all I can do too. Do you think our roars would work well here?"

Nora shrugged, even as she smacked at the tail again. "I dunno, worth a shot I gu-"

At that moment, the RL broke free and it rolled. I mean, crocodile death roll, high speed and trying to turn us into flapjacks. Nora and I jumped away from the mass, but a wave of water coming from its mane slammed into us and sent us tumbling.

Thanking the beauty that is Aura, I sprang up, only to see the RL slithering away on a makeshift slip-n-slide that it was creating out of the water that had remained in its mane.

I watched, dumbfounded, as it reached the edge of the docks and dove into the water.

"No!"

Blake ran past me, bullets kicking up water long after the beast's shadow had faded. "Damn you!"

Her gun clicked, the ammo spent. I walked up to her slowly, careful not to startle her. "Uh… Blake? What happened?"

Blake was panting, her eyes still glued on the water. "I… heard about… the shipment. Wanted… to see… with my own eyes."

I heard shoes click against the cement, Ren's calm voice coming up next to me. "I thought as much. So, what did you see?"

Blake lowered her gun. "White Fang, obviously. But… they were working for a human, a guy with red hair. He was directing them. White Fang don't take orders from humans, especially with how he was treating them."

She sighed. "Then… then that thing showed up. It just shot out of the water and grabbed the first White Fang member it could find. I could hear the poor bastard's spine snap from the shaking. After that, it charged at the others and killed whatever it could grab. Claws disemboweled them, teeth broke them in half, and even its sheer bulk crushed them flat. They tried to run while the Bullheads provided support, but it shot those balls of water and destroyed the bullheads. Only that red haired guy and a couple others got away."

I sighed. "I see… come on, Blake. Let's go sit down and talk this out, ok?"

Blake nodded slowly, letting me lead her back to the others, as the sound of police sirens filled the air.

 _-?-_

The children were persistent, and heretical.

The beast hissed as he swam through the shallows. It had surfaced on the unnatural stone to try and avenge the loss of its partner in the shallows, the Gobul Re'ca, but had met those that somehow held the scent of land and sky dwellers.

He did not know what had killed Re'ca, only that a purple aura had snagged the great angler and dragged it out of the sea to her doom. Her mate, Ja'bas, was not going to take the news well.

Now, he was in the depths, blood still leaking from his wounds. His presence was enough to drive away any opportunistic predators, but he feared the wrath of his Lord.

A disturbance in the water drew his uninjured eye, his teeth coming to bear when he saw one of his Lord's attendants.

 ** _"Why do you come so early,_** **** ** _Se'to?"_**

The great serpent glared at him, energy sparking in the spines on its back. The injured beast hissed his answer. **_"I have witnessed heresy. Not only has_** **** ** _Re'ca_** **** ** _been killed,_** **** ** _but_** **** ** _I saw children of men that held power. One of them smelled of the Stygian."_**

The other leviathan's eyes widened and a snarl presented itself. **_"I shall tell our Lord of this. Go and recover, we will need you when the time comes."_**

The leviathan, a Lagiacrus most mighty by the name of Ar'dynle, swept down further into the depths, brief flashes of energy marking his departure. Se'to growled silently, before turning his bulk toward his lair.

There would be a reckoning for this heresy, especially when the rest of their brethren escaped their prison and joined them in the sea.

They simply needed the 'Wisdom' and 'Power' to carry it out.

 _-Somewhere in Vale-_

Roman Torchwick was not in a good mood.

What was going to be one of his biggest heists in a while, and thus a big payday, had turned into an absolute shit show!

"Neo, where are you?"

His partner in crime appeared from behind a pillar, a frown marring her face.

"Ah, there you are. Tell me, when are our employers due to arrive again? I need to have a word with them."

Neo shrugged before pointing behind her, a sensuous voice answering for her. "Roman, Roman, Roman, I expected so much more from you."

Roman was having none of it. "You don't get to play that card, you or your lackeys. In case you haven't noticed, I have nothing, because you didn't tell me I'd have to tangle with a big freaking alligator!"

The voice… sounded very confused. "An…alligator? Roman, darling, did you eat something strange today?"

Roman's eye twitched. "Don't call me that, witch. Take a look at this, then you'll know why I couldn't get the damn Dust."

He threw a scroll behind Neo's head, a hand with dark skin snatching it out of the air before handing it to the one behind Neo.

A video was already cued up and Roman waited as the woman and her lackeys watched. He could see one of them visibly pale while the other one had his brows disappear behind his bangs. "What I tell ya? . Alligator."

A fire consumed the scroll, briefly lighting the woman's face. Her yellow eyes were set in a glare, but her voice was still that calm, sensual velvet it always was. "I see… Something like that would send most any plan to hell. We will see if we can gather more information, for now, you will continue to work with the White Fang."

Roman laughed. "Look lady, there's no way they'll want to, not after this clusterfuck! They lost fifteen guys, and not a single piece of Dust to show for it."

The woman smirked. "Oh, they'll want to. We have something they want, and the only way to get it is cooperating with us. Besides, we still have big plans for you, Roman."

She stepped forward into the light, her red dress rippling. "We'll just need to make a few… adjustments."

 _Ch. End._

 **Ah, that was fun to write. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, considering I said** **there'd** **be a** **Gobul** **and Royal** **Ludroth** **here. I realized while I was writing that introducing the** **Gobul** **so soon would likely get most of them killed, so I decided to hold off that fight until** **they're** **a bit better.**

 **Whether or not someone dies, well,** **that's** **for me to know and for you to find out.** **:P**

 **Have a great day!**


	8. Therapy and Other Events

**Hi guys, sorry it's been so long since I updated. School started up for me again and I've been busy getting into a rhythm. But, that's not important, you're here for the story and I am more than happy to provide!**

 **Enjoy!**

 _Therapy and Other Events_

I wasn't sure what to expect after the attack on the docks. A major supply of Dust had been assaulted and the bodies of many White Fang members had been spread over the pavement like disgusting jam. Then there was the fact someone not in the know had fought one of the Beasts and who knows how many cameras that had caught the exchange.

It certainly wasn't therapy.

I glanced to my right, Weiss frowning in her seat. We were the only two to have to go to these sessions since Blake had seen worse over the years and the monkey-guy, or Sun as he'd introduced himself, was no stranger to scenes of violence back in Vacuo.

That left me and my partner to sit across from Professor Port and talk about what happened. Well, I say talk, but it was mostly the Professor going on his usual spiel of long winded stories with a few insights sprinkled in.

I admit seeing all that carnage had been more than a little frightening and Yang had been the one to push me towards this. It's what I got for screaming myself awake for the first time in years. Weiss though was still a mystery.

"Can you tell me why you're here again?" I whispered. "Yang wouldn't leave me alone, but I'm sure you're not scarred by it."

Weiss ignored the unintentional pun. "I'm here because I choose to be. It's rather hard to be the greatest partner ever if I don't help you through this."

A cleared throat stalled my answer if not my smile. "Ms. Schnee, while the sentiment is appreciated, please try and remain quiet. We're almost done."

Port tented his fingers. "Now, Ms. Rose, I understand that you've experienced death before, but you must try and face the idea that those around you will either be hurt or die. Whether that be civilians or enemies, or even your teammates, that is the reality you face."

I looked down, absently scratching at the bandage hiding that ugly marking on my arm. "I know that Professor… I guess I just wasn't ready to see that level of…slaughter."

I whispered the last word, Port's mustache drooping sympathetically. "Few are, and those that can see such carnage and not blink are more dangerous than anything. Your fear and disgust show your humanity Ms. Rose, but as with all obstacles in life, you must overcome it."

He gestured to Weiss. "Thankfully you have friends and family willing to help you. The best advice I can give at this juncture is to rely on them. Bottling up your concerns, fears, or thoughts will only make you explode."

Port's moustache puffed back to life. "Well, that's all the time we have for today. Head back to your dorms girls, you have work to do."

I stood and thanked the Professor before leaving with Weiss. The halls were filled with their usual level of chatter, but all anyone was talking about had to do with the White Fang attack. Yet, there wasn't so much as a whisper about the Royal Ludroth that had run off into the sea.

Or slid off, I guess. Still had a hard time getting my head around how it got away.

Weiss spoke when we got away from the hustle and bustle of the main halls. "Are you really ok? I don't need you getting all spooled up when we have tests next week."

"Gee, thanks," I snarked. "It's wonderful to know that you care more about your tests than my wellbeing."

Weiss huffed. "You're well-being has a direct effect on my training here, of course I care. Besides, no one walks away from something like that unchanged."

I knew Weiss spoke from experience. I didn't know how young she'd been when the White Fang first went after her, but now wasn't the time to ask. "I'll be ok… eventually. It'll just take time."

"As all things do," Weiss sighed. "Very well, just know that you can come to me should Yang or Blake prove unavailable."

I nodded. "And I can talk to anyone on JNPR if needed. Say, just to talk about something _other_ than me, what do you think we'll be doing after school now?"

"Couldn't say," Weiss shrugged as we entered the elevator. "For all we know, the training could get a lot worse or stop altogether."

I shook my head, no way that'd happen. "I don't think so. I mean, if anything, we'll probably start experimenting with our jam to better match our fighting styles."

Weiss glared at me. "You're still calling it jam?"

"You have a better idea?" I asked with a cheeky grin. "It's fun to say too, don't deny it."

Weiss huffed and went silent. Taking the petty victory for now, we walked to our dorm and opened the door.

Only to find everyone doing their best to act casual while covering my storage locker.

My eyes narrowed, even as Yang stood to greet us. "Ruby, Weiss! How'd the session go?"

"I got the same advice dad gave me when I told him I wanted to be a Huntress." I answered. "Now why is everyone trying to hide my locker?"

Yang grinned sheepishly as she moved in front of me. It didn't do much good, I could still see Nora and Jaune trying to wrestle wall paper over it. "We just, uh… needed to get some cleaning done and didn't want to get your things dirty!"

My brow went up. When Yang's voice went up a pitch, she was lying. "So, you plan on cleaning the entire room… without covering your lockers or moving the table?"

Yang only smiled wider, her eyes darting around. "Well we just decided to do it a few minutes ago… yeah."

Her voice trailed off as she looked back and found Blake barricaded in the corner of the room, one of the end tables between her and us. Jaune and Nora had commandeered the dining table and huddled behind it in another corner.

Ren and Pyrrha just stood around, looking very confused.

Something clicked in my head. "Yang… what did you do to Crescent Rose?"

Ren's eyes widened and he took off, opening and diving through the window. Pyrrha looked even more confused, though she was obviously unsettled when Weiss immediately made a dome of thick ice.

Yang tried to wave off my question. "No-no sis you got it all wrong! We just… didn't want you to see all the cookies we got for you!"

I barely heard another word after that, the thought of beautiful cookies filling my mind. Looking back on it, that right there probably showed I was doing well, but it sure didn't matter to Yang.

"Crap." She muttered, palm meeting her forehead. "Pyrrha, take cover!"

Pyrrha barely had time to process that before I crackled across the room, tore off the covering on my locker, and ripped it open. Thing is, there was no cookies in there.

In fact, nothing was there.

I felt my power surge, eye shifting and lightning crackling around me. "Yang…!"

I turned and leapt at my sister. Pretty sure I looked like a demon with the red eye and lightning. "What did you do with my sweetheart?!"

 _-One destroyed room and traumatized teammates later-_

"You should have told me!" I pouted as I stomped down the hall. "I wouldn't have gone off like that if you hadn't gotten me excited!"

Weiss growled at me, her hair a mess. "Excited?! You turned the entire living room and kitchen into a warzone before anyone could get a word in edgewise!"

Blake joined the scolding. "While I agree that Yang not just explaining things outright was a poor decision, there was no need to explode."

"Literally!" Nora crowed. "I haven't had that much of a supercharge in years!"

I cringed, though no one saw it. I was miffed that Yang had decided to hide the fact all our weapons had been taken, but letting loose was…stupid.

"We'll live Ruby." Ren sighed, the lone person besides me to go unharmed. "But I fail to see why you're so attached to the scythe. I know you built it yourself and all, but it's nothing to lose your head over."

I tried to keep the bite out of my voice. "Yeah, well, when _your_ weapon is one of your only lifelines don't be surprised if you get attached."

Ren blinked at me and Pyrrha decided to poke at the opening. "Something you need to tell us?"

I scowled and sped up, not wanting to drudge up old wounds. I heard the others jog after me, but all my anger was forgotten when I arrived at a pair of doors that I knew _very_ well.

Giddy, I pressed the button and skipped into the weapon bay, benches and tools scattered across the room along with various metal bits, oil cans, and so on.

Oh, and the corpses of every monster we'd taken down minus the shredded Qurupeco.

I stared at one that looked like a giant purple frog-fish. "…Wow."

"Indeed Ms. Rose." Ozpin stated as he appeared from behind a bench. "That is a beast that even I know nothing about. Our analysis has shown it to be a large and aggressive ambush predator with paralyzing spines hidden in its back."

He gestured in a vague direction. "Professor Goodwitch was responsible for taking this one down. I did not hear about the Royal Ludroth being spotted until shortly after it fled, but I would have sent her had I known earlier."

I stared at the creature for a minute before the passage came to me. "Gobul, terror of all who forge the rivers and shallows of the world. The great leviathan waits for the slightest movement before shooting from its hiding place and swallowing its prey in one bite."

Ozpin hummed, his cane clacking as he walked up to me. "You've been reading the book in your spare time."

"It's the only book that interests me." I laughed, looking away from the unamused stare he gave me. "But that's not important."

The door opened again and the others came through. "You bet that's important Ruby Rose! I knew you weren't studying!"

I gulped but Ozpin saved me from a Weissy death. "Good, you're all here. Professor Oobleck has been…eager, to show off his work."

He turned and strode further into the bay. Weiss gave me a glare as she walked by while the others were too curious to try and prod at me anymore. Yang and Blake gave me fist-bumps as they went by though.

Yang always knew when a pun had been made, no matter if it was out-loud, while Blake had been around Yang enough in both practice and the dorm to pick up on it too. It was honestly a little scary how those two were meshing so well.

Thinking on it, Yang had met Blake's explanation of her old life with all the sympathy and care I expected of her. In fact, when Ozpin had seen Yang hovering around Blake like she did for me on occasion, he'd ruled out therapy immediately.

Yes, I am still bitter about being forced to sit and listen to Port for hours on end. It was only by having Weiss there or one of the Junipers that I stayed sane.

Anyway, Ozpin led us through the stinking corpses and to a long bench with Oobleck standing behind it. When we got there, Oobleck zipped from behind the bench and started lecturing. "Our understanding of the beasts is still in its infancy, but your work has allowed us to gain some insight into how they work and how we can turn their abilities to our advantage!"

He gestured to the bench, ignoring our confusion. "Some of the monsters had limbs or organs that were of particular interest to us, especially when it came to the effects they produced."

He zipped in front of Blake. "For example, the Iodrome. Its esophageal sack secreted a potent toxin that combined the effectiveness of a neurotoxin, the infectious potential of a necrotic, and the danger of an anti-coagulant. Tell me, Ms. Belladonna, what use is this information?"

Blake leaned away from the eager professor. "Uh… it shows how hard it is to treat?"

"Close!" Oobleck shouted, making Blake grimace. "In truth, it is important to know that you should avoid the toxin at all cost while using it to your advantage!"

He gestured to the table where Gambol Shroud lay. "We have, through some trial and error, outfitted your blade with an injection mechanism that uses the poison."

Blake's jaw dropped along with everyone else. "…Why? What could I ever use something so… painful for?"

Ozpin cleared his throat. "As shown in your encounter with the Royal Ludroth, your weapons as they stand are not enough to defeat the more robust enemies you are likely to encounter. As such, we're going to turn the beasts' own weapons against them."

"There are only so many charges in the blade." Oobleck continued. "Professor Port was only able to extract enough poison for three, though none sit in the blade. Unless you kill more of those Iodromes, that's all you have."

Blake frowned, but I couldn't tell if she was uncomfortable at using the poison or just weighing the pros and cons. "…Alright, I'll use it. I don't like the idea of it, but I understand why you added it."

Oobleck nodded. "Good, I'll be instructing you on how to use the mechanism later. Now…"

He zipped in front of Pyrrha. "Ms. Nikos, I've done something similar to your weapon."

Milos appeared in his hand. "I isolated part of the poison's structure and created a powerful sedative. Your mechanism will work only in spear form and activates on impact, injecting the target with enough sedative to at least make a Great Jaggi sluggish. Be aware, it will cause total cardiopulmonary cessation should it hit a human, so please practice dry until you're confident."

Pyrrha gulped. "Um, Professor, is it truly necessary? Milos was effective against every beast I've faced so far."

Ozpin answered again. "Ms. Nikos, much like the more advanced Grimm, the beasts have members among them that are covered in armor. It's the other reason that we're giving our most accurate students the injection mechanisms."

He looked to Ren. "No offense, Mr. Ren."

Ren shrugged and Oobleck vanished again, this time stopping in front of Yang. "Ms. Xiao Long, your gauntlets were actually quite easy to modify. I simply recovered the tips of the Qurupeco's wings, studied them, and created a substitute that lines the knuckles. When you get the chance, I wish to see if the sparks and blasts created can ignite your slime."

Yang grinned and I sighed alongside my friends. A more explosive Yang was _just_ what everyone needed.

Oobleck appeared before Weiss. "Ms. Schnee, I have replaced your rapier's blade with a composite material made from titanium and the Velocidrome's femur. Both are much stronger than the steel you were using while the bone keeps the blade flexible. Also, I took the liberty of crafting a glove from the Velocidrome skin. You'll find it much harder to lose your weapon from here on."

Weiss put on a pleasant smile. "Thank you, Professor. I'm glad a professional was able to do so much."

I didn't like the implied barb, but Oobleck came to me next. "Ms. Rose, your weapon was… interesting. I couldn't do anything with the blade, so I went with something else."

He held out some weird bullets. "These are the spines from that fish, I ground them and placed them into darts. It will paralyze anything short of the beasts in one shot, and three should be enough to stop any of them. I was able to make about three dozen of the darts, but please use them sparingly."

I nodded eagerly, but Oobleck took the darts away. Apparently, he had nothing else as our weapons were swiftly returned. "I apologize to Mr. Arc, Mr. Ren and Ms. Nora, but I had nothing else to add to their armament now. I look forward to seeing you all in practice."

With that, he was gone. Ozpin shooed us from the bay, saying it needed to get cleaned up, so we did the only thing we could.

 _-Cafeteria-_

Food was always a good thing after getting new stuff.

Our little group sat at the usual spot with conversation coming and going. Blake wasn't the most talkative person normally, but she was even quieter than usual. Thinking it strange, I opened my mouth. "Hey, Blake-"

"I can't believe he gave me poison." She muttered, just quiet enough that I barely heard it. "It's as if he's trying to drudge up bad memories."

That shut my gob, at least until Yang decided to be herself. "Say, Blakey, you never did share why you left the WF. Want to tell while we're all young and idyllic?"

Blake glared at her. "That's beyond private. Ask after you've done something to earn it, and I don't mean sneaking me tuna."

Yang gasped in over the top shock, Ren glaring at my sister tiredly before groaning. "That's where all my groceries keep going."

Blake flipped him a coin, which Ren caught, before I cleared my throat. "So, it looks like we'll be doing practice after all. Any ideas on what we'll be doing now?"

"Blake and I will likely be working with the new mechanisms." Pyrrha noted. "Beyond that, I think we'll be working more on actual tactics when it comes to fighting the beasts."

Jaune shrugged as he took a bite out of his burger. "Sounds good to me. Though, uh, how's that going to work?"

"I bet we'll get to fight robots!" Nora cheered. "Then, we'll get chased all around the room by the robots while we have to figure out how to beat them down!"

Her eyes gleamed. "I can't wait to break some legs!"

I laughed nervously, still confused about Nora's eternal desire to snap tibulas. Ren was used to it, which said more about Nora's long standing obsession than anything, but everyone else subtly shifted away from her.

Weiss huffed, playing with freshly cleaned hair because of course it was. "So long as the modifications do nothing to impede us, I see no reason we cannot make short work of such training. I would prefer we work on tapping into our power safely, if only so we don't rely on the beasts."

My hand went to my left arm, feeling the bandages that wrapped it. It was probably best that we added that to the agenda too, but I wasn't all that comfortable trying to access the power quite yet. Getting told you could go into a homicidal craze for using it too much did that to you.

I didn't see it, but Weiss grimaced. Guess she realized saying that wasn't the best idea.

"Look, we'll find out tomorrow." Yang cut in, glaring at Weiss all the while. "No point worrying about it when we don't know what's going on."

Pyrrha put a hand on my shoulder and held out her glass of water. "I can cheer to that. What say you?"

I put on a smile and clinked my glass with hers. The others got into it and we had a big cheer before slamming back our water. We proceeded to choke on it and make fools of ourselves, which a passing Coco made sure to point out.

With any previous tension broken, excited chatter and jokes began to flow again. I did notice Weiss glancing at me from time to time, but I was having too much fun easing Ren about his habit of meditating upside down to give it much thought.

Looking back on it, I really should have paid more attention, that night wouldn't have been so awkward otherwise.

 _-Night-_

"Cookies 'n Crème…"

I was sound asleep, my pillow a giant marshmallow while I snuggled and chewed on a giant cookie. While I was nibbling away, I felt something poke my shoulder.

"Ruby."

Looking to my left, I found a giant vanilla ice cream cone. "Ice cream!"

My hands shot out and grabbed the cone, pulling for a long lick. It struggled mightily, but I could subdue it after some work and rolling off my cake-bed.

"Ruby Rose, wake up this instant! I am not ice cream, no matter what Yang says!"

I didn't believe the giant cone, instead finding the corner where the cone met the cream and licking again.

"Dolt!"

The cone leaned back and smacked me. I was expecting it to splat, as ice cream does, but a solid hit made my little fantasy disappear.

"Ow… what was that for?"

I looked up to see a flustered Weiss in her nightgown, a red spot growing on her forehead. Now that I thought about it, she must have been the ice cream cone that I had been…licking and fondling.

I shot up with a squeak, scrambling back from Weiss. "I'm so sorry! I w-w-was dreaming!"

Weiss scowled at me, voice low. "Yeah, I could tell. You're lucky Yang didn't wake up."

She turned her scowl to Blake's bunk. "Go to sleep Blake, I can hear your snickering over here."

Blake's ears twitched, a clear sign of amusement, but she didn't speak. Weiss growled and stood, dusting herself off before stalking off to the bathroom. "Go to the living room, I need to clean up."

I remained still until she was gone. Then I slinked into the living room and hid my head in my arms. _Geez, I think I was licking her neck. Talk about being a creep to one of your friends, it's like if Nora decided Ren was made of pancakes._

I shuddered at that thought. Forget awkwardness, Ren wouldn't keep his sanity _or_ his purity-assuming Nora hadn't already taken it!

I shook my head of that. Nora may have been flighty and a bit nutty, but she wouldn't do that to her best friend. I still must've been half-asleep.

Weiss came through when I finished the thought, eyes finding the back of my head. "What is it this time?"

I looked up and watched her sit before answering. "Just… nothing. Sorry again, I should've realized ice cream can't talk."

"Yes," Weiss huffed, "you should have. Next time, try and wake up before you start fondling me."

I blushed and looked away. Weiss sighed and started tapping the table. "Look Ruby, this incident aside, I wanted to apologize to you for what I said in the cafeteria."

I looked back to her, confused. "What did you say? I don't remember hearing you say anything mean… for once."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Says the one that would complain about her sister and leaky floor over the scroll. You're a vicious thing when you think no one can see it."

I glared at her. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I just know that I can fire back," Weiss laughed. "Anyway, I wanted to apologize for bringing up the powers during practice, specifically drawing on it. I know you're willing to use what we can right now, but I wasn't thinking when I said it."

I sighed. "Weiss, that's not something to apologize for. You were just saying what you thought would happen in practice."

"It's no excuse," Weiss countered. "Ruby, you were at the mercy of a beast and had to lose yourself to get the both of us out of there alive. You haven't pulled on anything more than your most basic abilities since. If nothing else, I don't want you getting down about some thoughtless comment when we need to be focused."

I smiled, energy back where it belonged. "That's sweet of you, Weiss. Are you sure you shouldn't just drop the ice and act like this all the time?"

Weiss scoffed, an amused smirk on her lips. "Please, someone needs to be the voice of reason around here. If Blake weren't so prone to just going with the flow, I wouldn't need to call you a dolt all the time. That and Pyrrha's too nice to scold either her team or her boyfriend."

"So we do agree on that!" I laughed. "Man, they just need to sit down and have that talk already. I hear Ren's been getting all kinds of annoyed with them and Nora's been trying to get Pyrrha to just spill."

Weiss shrugged. "I'm just surprised it would be Jaune of all people. What do you think made Pyrrha give him more than a passing glance?"

I hummed and thought on it, trying to pinpoint the exact thing that may have started our friends' mutual affections. "Maybe… the fact that he didn't know who she was?"

Weiss frowned. "How, exactly, would that make her start crushing on him? Especially when he bumbled his way through the initiation."

I held out my hands helplessly. "It's just a guess, but she doesn't seem to like all the fame from what I've seen. She's very particular about avoiding large groups of people, especially if we go into Vale."

Weiss bit her lip, mind turning over the idea with her usual cold stare. "True… I noticed she didn't enjoy me trying to butter her up in the lockers before initiation. She was polite, but looking back on it, she was really uncomfortable."

I nodded, but felt a yawn push its way out of my throat. "Let's leave our friends alone for tonight. I need to sleep if I'm going to attempt listening to Professor Port."

"You will listen." Weiss shot. "If you don't, I won't help with the assignment."

I groaned but made my way back to my bunk. I paused at the door though. "Weiss… thanks for trying to cheer me up. I really appreciate it."

Weiss smirked and flipped her hair. "What are friends for? …If you say copying homework, I'll never speak to you again."

"I wasn't gonna say that!"

 _-Cave-_

 **"** **What is our progress?"**

A congregation of beasts laid around a large pool, each bearing the scars of many battles with both each other and the enemy.

"We are making progress, slowly." One of them answered, its hide a shiny blue and orange. "The epioths have yet to make any inroads beyond our former prison, but the ludroths are killing off the enemy."

The one known as Se'to went next. "My concubines have done much work as well. Two more months and the epioths can enter the rivers."

"Not fast enough," another clicked. "Your invasion has already drawn more attention then my dromes would prefer."

The largest of them shifted, blue and white scales rippling. "Speaking of, have your dromes made contact with the land-dwellers?"

Beady eyes met the crocodilian behemoth, teeth bared in a flat head. "Only a few jaggi. None of the surface elders have woken, and they're disorganized after the Qurupeco organizing them was killed several days ago."

The cave thrummed as the pool's occupant considered the information. **"We are still unsure as to the extent of the enemy and the humans. Tell the jaggi that the elder Ha'rok has woken and requires their services until the council can be convened."**

The flat-head bowed and scurried from the cave.

Steam filled the air as the burning leviathan sunk deeper into the water. **"Se'to, your actions warrant punishment. However, the disgrace of being marked by human weapons is enough to fulfill the act. Go and see to it the epioth continue to spread."**

Se'to held in a growl before slithering out of the cave.

"You really should refrain from provoking him my lord." The blue leviathan sighed. "None of the other Royals have awoken yet and we require his concubines."

Dark laughter echoed through the cave. **"He is young, Ar'dynle. We were sealed shortly after he saw his sixth winter, and is eager to take his place."**

Steam hissed again as the Miralis known as Ha'rok pulled himself to the water's edge. **"Now, what have you heard about these children that carry the power of our compatriots?**

Ar'dynle shook, muscle rippling. "Little if anything. They've learned to move water through small channels and it is impossible for me to travel into the heart of their territory. We will likely be limited in our knowledge until the others awaken."

 **"** **So they have advanced."** Ha'rok noted. **"I suppose freedom from our fury has given them the room to do so. I dislike that we cannot simply charge their docks, but I feel something more stirring."**

Hellish fire escaped his jaws, anger burning his words. **"The enemy has changed as well, and we need to know how. Letting the Witch have her way is more infuriating than anything the humans could ever do.**

Ar'dynle hissed as well. "I will do all I can, milord. I'll make sure Re'ka can mourn as well."

The anger faded from Ha'rok's eyes. **"Good… I will return to my own search as well."**

 **"** **The sooner we find our brethren, the sooner this can end."**

 _Ch. End_

 **I am so very sorry that this took so long to come out. As I said, college started up and I just did not have the time to write.**

 **Also, now that you've seen this, there will be a time-skip next time! While I could spend an entire chapter going over the training and various movements of the Grimm and Beasts, that would be relatively boring compared to the action pieces. As such, we get to more fun things next time!**

 **Oh and I'll be doing review responses from here out!**

 **Dragon-XZero: I noticed that. Won't be fixed as of this post, but I'll get to it.**

 **Daemon of Wrath: Thanks, glad it's easy to follow!**

 **RaptorRapist: Salem is always a big threat, but there's good reason I don't just wake everything up. If all the Elders were out and about, this story would've been a horror/tragedy combo. As I dislike dark stuff when there's too much of it, this happened instead!**

 **Jmccalmont11: Blake is a Nargacuga while Weiss is a Barioth.**

 **Alright, that's all I have. Thanks for reading everyone and again, I'm really sorry it took so long. Hope you enjoy!**


	9. Fun in the Sun-Fear in the Snow

**I've been gone far too long from this wonderful little story, so I'd like to give all our veterans and newcomers a new chapter.**

 **Let's have fun!**

 _Fun in the Sun-Fear in the Snow_

The next few weeks were… quiet.

I mean, we still trained, studied, hung out, and generally kept busy. It's just… we didn't see much of the beasts outside of a few packs of small fry, not even a Great Jaggi among them.

I wasn't _complaining_ , Grimm were much less complicated, but the others started getting antsy. Our after-hours training had only gotten more intense the longer we went without a beast to fight, and that stressed everyone to the limit.

On the bright side, all of us were always getting better with each other. At first, Weiss and Blake rarely talked to anyone outside of Yang and I, but now they were a lot more social.

As far as an arrogant disposition and short answers could be considered _social_ , but hey, baby steps.

Anyway, before we knew it, the semester was at an end. There was a two week break after we took our midterms, but we spent that in the tender mercies of Goodwitch. At least until the last day, when we were given the day off and we gathered in the cafeteria.

I, being my wonderful self, slammed a folder thicker than I was onto the lunch table. "Alright, listen up!"

My friends and sister looked up at me, suspicion clear. I ignored it in favor of my prepared speech. "Friends, Family… Weiss."

Weiss stuck her tongue out at me.

"In honor of our rest day," I continued, "I have come up with an entire series of activities and adventures. We will have nothing resembling fun for the coming semester, so we may as well start off with a bang!"

I pointed at Yang, her jaw half open. "No puns! I know I put it out there, but I will not suffer it!"

Yang pouted at me.

"Who's the elder sibling?" Jaune muttered, drawing a giggle from Pyrrha.

I ignored them, instead opening the folder. "Now then, the first activity is a good meal… check!"

I made a check before Weiss started growling. "Wait a minute, is that the folder I had under my desk? Ruby, that had my anatomy project!"

I gulped and tentatively pulled back the cover, the words 'Grimm Anatomy' staring at me from under my self-made title. "…Whoops."

Weiss proceeded to blow up, for good reason. While that was happening, I heard Yang start a conversation, but I didn't focus too much what with Weiss trying to bite my head off.

"So," Yang started. "I never got to ask this with all the stuff going on, but what's it like being in a coed dorm?"

Nora chuckled. "Not _that_ much different from you guys."

"We have to wake up before either of them." Ren stated, frank as ever. "Pyrrha takes an hour all by herself and Nora has a whole routine that can't be interrupted. If we want hot showers, it's an early wake up call."

Nora socked his shoulder, Ren ignoring the pain like an old pro. Pyrrha chuckled and added her thoughts. "The curse of long hair on my part, but it's not that bad. We do our assignments, eat, and sleep in there mostly. Nothing special."

Blake shrugged and looked to Yang's disappointed face. "Were you expecting them to be doing something racy? It's amazing any of us can get in our own beds at the end of the day, let alone do something like that."

"Says the night owl." Yang muttered, glaring at Blake's smug grin. "And don't deny you wanted to know too, Ms. Erotica."

Blake flushed, hand shushing Yang. "Don't say that, it's legitimate literature!"

Yang grumbled around the hand, but her eyes widened at something across the table. Blake, following her eyes, let out a horrified gasp. "Ruby, what did you do?!"

I was too afraid to respond, Weiss trembling next to me as we tried to support each other in a desperate hug. See, Weiss was so mad at me she'd started grabbing food off the table and chucking it at me. I just ate the small stuff, but Weiss eventually grabbed a pie that I let sail past me.

Right into the head of one Coco Adel.

Our table was the only to not notice that, which was weird considering the entire hall went silent, but now they gaped as well.

Coco stood before us, eyes hidden by her usual sunglasses, but we could _feel_ the anger. "You just ruined my favorite beret."

A chocolate cake slice appeared in her hand. "Who's getting this shoved in their hair?"

I thought she sounded far too calm to be threatening a chocolatey death, but let it never be said cowards are stupid. "Weiss did it!"

Weiss gaped at me, tears of betrayal gathering in her eyes before the chocolate was smashed into her hair, Coco rubbing it in to make a point.

"Coco," Velvet tried, walking over to her leader. "It was an accident, you didn't need to do that."

I thought that was cool of her, but a splat of purple hit her head. It was jelly by the looks of it, and I looked back to see Yang pulling back from her pitch. "Sis… are we really going to do this?"

Yang smirked as the rest of team CFVY sidled forward. "We take care of our own. Who cares if it was an accident, they've asked for it now."

"I'm on Coco's side!" Nora yelled, dragging Ren to join the other side.

Yang pointed to the others. "Then we'll take you on with your better halves! Losers apologize!"

I could only watch as Velvet cleaned the jelly from her face, a rare look of annoyance flashing by. "Alright, fine, if that's what you want."

"This'll be fun." Fox drawled, bouncing on his heels. "What do you think Yasuhashi?"

Yas, as I knew him, grunted and grabbed a table, food clattering in place. With battle about to begin and one of my own allies glaring at me murderously for betrayal, I did the only thing I could.

Smile and get it on.

"Food fight!"

 _-Aftermath-_

The battle was glorious.

Our first clash sent the other students scrambling, tables, food, and bodies flying. At some point, a small fortress of wood and soda machines was constructed, and we did battle with whatever was at hand.

Velvet and Blake dueled with baguettes, Weiss and Ren warred with a swordfish and green onions, and Yang shoved her hands up two whole turkeys while Nora attacked her with a watermelon on a pole. Pyrrha and Coco were spectacular, the red head spinning and leaping about with a leg of roast lamb while Coco ripped out the soda dispensers and rapid fired cans innumerable.

Jaune grabbed the nearest table and a whole fish, desperately holding off Yas who was using a whole side of beef.

I flitted around the battlefield, flinging pies and other debris at the enemy and saving my allies. It had gone well right up until Yang had been smacked through the ceiling by Nora. Weiss avenged the loss by disarming Ren and slapping him with the fish, the shame sending him to the floor.

Blake and Velvet met an unfortunate tie, a surprise volley from Coco painting Blake in rainbows while Velvet met the window after Pyrrha batted her with the lamb.

I took down Yas with a barrage of pies, the poor boy groaning on the floor, when I noticed that Fox had gone missing.

He reappeared behind Jaune with entire grape vines wrapped around his arms, Jaune going down in a flurry of delicious blows. Pyrrha went to avenge her not quite boyfriend, so I took care of Nora with her one weakness.

Pancakes.

While she was groaning atop a table, covered in fluffy disks and sticky syrup, I turned to Coco. "I will have vengeance for my friends! And it will taste like strawberries!"

Coco cocked an eyebrow and her makeshift weapon. "Strawberry, eh?"

I regretted my words a moment later, cans of strawberry soda flying at me. They didn't hit me, but poor Blake got caught in the crossfire again. Thankfully, there were enough cans that hadn't exploded lying around that I had an idea.

I ran to the front of the hall, got in a sprinters stance, and ran for all I was worth. The wind pressure picked up the cans, discarded food, and most of the defeated combatants. Coco, ever unshakeable, stood her ground and kept firing.

I ended up dashing past her and she flew into the vortex, my feet slamming into and cracking the opposite wall. A moment later, everyone I'd caught slammed into the wall and were pelted by the food and drink, soon becoming indistinguishable from the wall.

When they peeled off, I had to sheepishly accept I'd accidently pulled Pyrrha into the finishing move. On the other hand, we'd won!

Until I was slapped into the floor by a fish, Weiss standing over me and poking me with the point. "That's what you get for betraying me."

I just laughed. It was shortly after that when Goodwitch came in and fixed the place up, but we were able to get together and have a good laugh.

Then Yang finally came back to earth and Nora had to promise to pay for meals for the next week. Sending a friend so high into the air over a simple food fight was not ok.

After that, Sun showed up! We hadn't seen him since the night on the docks and he'd brought a friend. Guy's name was Neptune, handsome and smooth talking, but an airhead from what I could tell.

Introductions were made and we all had a good time before Goodwitch shooed us out of the hall. Sure, all of my plans had gone through the shredder, but we all wandered over to the library and started playing board games.

Great ice breaker, even if Blake tended to lose herself in thought every so often.

 _-Night-_

Screw every so often, Blake couldn't get out of her own head!

Yang had forgotten our shower turns and walked in on Blake, but didn't get a response when she apologized. In fact, when Blake came out, she didn't even acknowledge anyone.

Not even when I hugged Weiss after solving an issue with my rifling!

I sighed and approached her, trying to be tactful.

"Hey, Blake. You ok?"

No response.

I frowned and tried again. "Blake?"

Same result.

I bit my lip and bit the bullet, my power coming forth. "Blake!"

The bark made Blake jump, the book she was reading smacking against Yang's bed. "What, who, when!?"

She calmed down after a moment and glared at me. "What was that for?"

I sighed and let go of the power. "You weren't answering me. Or anyone, for that matter."

"I'm just thinking." Blake shot. "You do it whenever you're working on Crescent Rose."

"You do," Weiss added, looking up from whatever she was working on. "Trying to get you out of there's a task."

I pouted. "Quiet, you're not part of this. Anyway, Blake, what I mean is that you ignored Yang walking in on you."

Blake's eyes widened. "Wait… she did?"

I nodded, very sure to emphasize this part. "Yang was apologizing and everything, but you didn't even know she was there. Could've sat there and ogled you for all you knew."

"Hey!" Yang protested, hanging from her bed. "Don't talk like I'm some creep!"

She wriggled her eyebrows. "Besides, her normal stuff gives plenty to look at anyway."

Blake punched Yang hard enough to send her back up onto the mattress, a light flush on the faunas's face. "Quiet you. Anyway, I'm fine. Just thinking about the next few months."

I felt like that wasn't everything, but decided not to push for now. "Ok, if you're sure. Just try to stay with us, it's hard to get things done when we're missing the voice of reason."

Blake smirked, eyes flashing in amusement. "Oh, I'm reason? What about the others; surely Ren's more reasonable then me?"

I shrugged, deciding it couldn't hurt to share. "Well, Ren's the voice of frankness. He'll say what's on his mind, no matter what. Nora's the voice of insanity, no explanation needed. Jaune's the voice of strategy and frustration, since he has good plans but he gets interrupted giving them."

Yang and Weiss were staring at me now, clearly curious where this was going.

"Pyrrha's the voice of apology because she apologizes… a lot. Yang is the voice of puns and violence."

Blake had started chuckling by the time I got to Yang, but my sister's protest at her assigned voice made Blake hunch over.

"Then what am I, Ruby Rose?" Weiss ground out. "Please, share."

I was already dead at this point. May as well. "Weiss is the voice of knowledge and snootiness. I am the voice of everyone's inner nerd and unflattering commentary."

Blake was curled up by then, almost crying in laughter, but I was glad for it. Not even Weiss's annoyed glare could bring me down.

"You are so getting your butt kicked tomorrow." Yang promised. "But why don't we call it a night? It's supposed to be cold going into the morning."

I sighed, but agreed. I didn't like being cold, even if having a space heater for a sister made that a moot point most of the time, but that's what blankets were for!

"I'll turn in later." Weiss stated, turning back to her scroll. "I have a few more things to do before I'm done."

Yang shrugged and flopped onto her bed. Blake calmed down and thanked me for the laugh before grabbing her book and going back to reading. She looked far more relaxed, which made _me_ a lot more relaxed.

With nothing else to do, I climbed into my bed and started playing a game on my scroll. I wanted to beat Yang's high-score on this thing and I would do so!

And maybe drag Weiss off to bed if she wasn't asleep soon. Someone had to save her from over-working.

 _-Ozpin-_

"I don't like this silence."

Glynda paced in front of me; the woman as frustrated as I was. "Nothing but small creatures, reports of numerous new species popping up left and right, the Grimm _attacking_ these new species. Professor, this isn't normal!"

I sighed and took a sip from my mug. "If I had to guess, those new species are the creatures the beasts prey on. The last few that appeared could likely survive off of the local fauna, but as the seal weakens and more of the beasts escape, they need something to eat."

Glynda growled, not liking that answer. "Yet no one puts the pieces together! The terrestrial species are explainable, but the ocean? Those ones you call Epioths? Vale has existed by the ocean for centuries, there's _no way_ anyone could've missed such large herbivores!"

"Let them draw their own conclusions." I stated, an eye glued to the window. "The less they know for now, the better. We still don't have enough evidence to bring our case before the council and the silence from the beasts is to our benefit."

Glynda sighed and took a seat. "Yet we need the beasts to prove our case. The students have improved greatly after their encounter with the Royal Ludroth, but I still fear they haven't faced enough to understand the full gravity of what's happening."

"I'd be surprised if they did." I muttered, turning back to Glynda. "The thefts of Dust have driven prices higher than they've ever been and the police are incapable of catching the culprit. I've been unable to funnel any resources to that vein of action with the beasts hanging over us and I fear the Witch is moving forward with something big."

Glynda pinched her nose. "Then you think these thefts are her work as well. Are we going to be sharing this with Ironwood when he arrives next week?"

I sipped at my mug and looked back to the window. "The beasts, yes… but I fear he'll do something drastic if he becomes aware of the Witch's movements. His heart's in the right place, but all he'll do is drive her to ground and make her smarter. We're closer to deciphering her plans than ever before, I refuse to see that effort and sacrifice destroyed for an impulsive act that carries little chance of changing things."

Glynda was silent for a time before nodding. "Very well. I hope he'll come with good news on the beasts."

I blinked and laid my hands on the desk. "How do you mean?"

"I mean I hope the beasts have been limited to Vale." Glynda answered. "If they start appearing in the other kingdoms…"

I hummed and glanced to my desk, but no message popped up. Looks like the gods weren't that cruel today. "I hope not as well. The other kingdoms may not be as… prudent."

 _-Atlas Mountains-_

"How much longer are we walking?"

A man sighed as another squall of snow screeched by, his companion's voice barely reaching him. "We'll be at the research site soon! Stop complaining while you're at it, aren't you the one that wanted to come?"

The woman huffed and tightened her coat as another biting gale buffeted them. "No, that was my brother! It's not my fault there's only two mammologists in Atlas and one of them broke his stupid leg!"

The man grunted and waved off the complaint. "It doesn't matter. I just hope they have something warm to eat."

The woman didn't answer. It was silent for another half-hour before light bloomed through the blizzard and the duo breathed a sigh of relief.

The complex they entered was mostly easy to set up tents and a few sturdier buildings to hold various scientific equipment. There were few people walking about, but the man spotted several of the new Atlesian Knight 200s patrolling the area.

 _Odd,_ he thought. _Those models just entered production. Was it **really** that big a discovery?_

The woman ignored the androids and stomped up to the largest building, banging on the door when she got there. "Hey, we're here! Passcode 214539: Dr. Latia Orson and Leon Dresden!"

The door let out a series of beeps before swishing open, a jolly man on the other side. "Ah, Latia! Good to see you made it in one piece, and the same to you, Leon."

Leon bowed to the man, his features hidden behind winter gear. "Not a problem Dr. Keller. Have to say, it's a surprise to see the new Knights out and about."

"They're being tested." Keller answered. "The manufacturers wanted to know if they could stand the elevation and cold in turn. So far, they've done fabulously, but that's not why you're here."

He ushered Latia and Leon inside, guiding them through several research aides. Keller stopped them just before a corral, Latia letting her strawberry-blonde hair free when she got a look inside. "Wow…"

Inside the corral were several hairy quadrupeds with stocky builds and tusks that ranged from large to diminutive. In fact, they reminded her of small, hairy goliaths that weren't trying to kill them. "This is the new species?"

"Amazing isn't it?" Keller agreed. "Best part is, from what we can tell, they came from the other side of the mountain."

Leon grunted, pulling his hood down to reveal dark brown hair. "I thought that place had nothing but Grimm. Sure, they may not attack other animals, but the area's desolate otherwise."

Keller scratched his chin, curiosity clear. "That's why I asked Latia to come. I'm a Grimm researcher, so I don't have a clue how these creatures work. Latia, give us the word and we'll start any tests you ask for."

Latia smiled and started to list her needs. "Ok, we'll need to see if they have sexual dimorphism, their genetics, and I need samples of that coat. After that, blood samples and a vivisection-!"

One of the animals looked up sharply, snuffs quieting Latia. The other animals took notice of this and the smaller members were huddled together while the large ones formed a circle.

"What are they doing?" Leon muttered. "Did they get spooked by your voice?"

Latia glared at him. "Impossible, they can't hear me. Besides, this is herd behavior, circling the young to protect them from threats. I just don't see any threat."

Keller grew confused, but a beep on his scroll drew his attention. "Wait, one of the Knights went offline!"

Latia had a bad feeling about that and tore the scroll from his hand. As she watched, two more Knights went offline, their dots on the scroll's map disappearing.

They all formed a line, heading for the building they were in.

"Get all the Knights over here!" Latia yelled, startling the aides that were still working. "Everyone else, take shelter! Whatever's coming is not friendly!"

The aides began to run around in a panic, ducking under tables and workstations. Latia and Leon hid with Keller underneath the lip of the corral, each waiting around Keller's scroll.

The dots on the map showed the Knights encircled around the corral building, several messages in the corner from other researchers demanding to know what was going on. Keller was about to start answering when Leon stopped him. "Quiet, don't move."

Keller froze and all was silent for a moment. Then, they heard a thud. Then another… and another…

"It's massive." Latia whispered, fright gripping her heart. "Four legs, giant size… it could be a goliath!"

Keller growled, hoping that wasn't the case, but more beeps from the scroll and the crashing of metal met his ears. As he watched, the Knights slowly blipped off the map, several bangs echoing through the building as something crashed into the walls.

Silence fell after the last Knight went offline.

Latia could feel her heart thudding in her ears, breath coming deep and ragged. There was no way this could happen, they'd just gotten there!

The screech of bending metal made everyone cover their ears, a cry unlike anything heard tearing the air. A blast of cold air and the screech of metal told Latia the wall or roof had been torn off, but she'd long since curled into a ball.

All she could do was cover her ears and bury herself into the snow, ignoring the screams of the aides and cries of the creatures. A crashing, piercing cry filled the air and Latia's last view was that of an ice encrusted foot before she finished covering herself in snow.

It was cold in her little shelter, but all sound was muffled to the point of near silence. She could only thank every deity she knew that the floor hadn't been covered yet and pray that whatever was out there didn't find her.

That, and hope Keller or Leon had hidden themselves too. She didn't want to be alone, not out here.

…

…

…

It was quiet again, but she still didn't move. Not one muscle, locked in fear, so much as twitched for another thirty minutes before she dared peek out of her shelter.

The sight nearly made her heave.

The building was crushed beyond anything she thought salvageable, the remains of computers and machines strewn about along with torn walls and twisted trolleys. What made her ill were the bodies of the people, most of them crushed flat or with burst heads. A few had outright heinous slash wounds from what she could see, but it was hard enough to look as was.

Gulping down her bile, she looked to her left to find two similar hills in the snow, but one had a hole punched through it and leaked blood.

The other trembled before Leon's head popped out, gaping at the massacre before him. "By the gods…!"

Latia agreed, but she pulled her arm free and reached for him. "Leon, we need to leave! Whatever that was could still be around, we need to go!"

 _-Meanwhile, Cliffside-_

" **Sloppy work, Do'gus.** "

The Gammoth in question snorted, red eyes glaring at the lounging Baroth. **"It is through your folly that the Popo were able to roam so far. The herds are not yet healthy enough and I cannot go and retrieve every lost family."**

The Barroth chuffed, its green-blue hide clinking as it stood. " **I'm well aware. By the way, I smell two that yet live. If it will keep you quiet on this incident, I'll take care of them.** "

Do'gus shook his body, snow cascading from its fur. " **Go, see neither live. We are not yet ready to reveal ourselves to the world and the Baggi have yet to return from their foray to the south.** "

The Barroth groaned and hopped from its perch. " **I will see it done. Don't wait up for me, I know the way back.** "

Do'gus snorted again before stomping away. " **I don't wait on slackers.** "

 _-Latia-_

The pair waited another few minutes before scrambling out of the snow, trudging to the edge of camp and avoiding the slaughtered remains of the researchers and the Knights. It was surreal to see the supposed face of the Alas military get defeated so easily, but here they were.

Neither spoke, the shock was too great for words, but the thud of large feet hitting the ground made them throw themselves into a snow drift, praying once again that whatever it was would leave them alone.

The rattling of the earth and the sharp crack of bones proved Latia wrong, Leon's spot pulverized and sending her rolling out of the snow.

She came to a stop and sprang to her feet, running with all the strength she held, and for a moment thought she'd make the cliff.

Something solid ramming into her legs and sending her flying over the cliff and into the open air snuffed that hope, what was once her hope now her doom.

The Barroth that had attacked her watched the human scream to the ground, wincing sympathetically when the scream was silenced with a thud. " **Didn't know that was there. I hate doing it messy, unneeded suffering.** "

The Barroth shook its head before beginning the trek down the cliff.

Messy or not, it still needed to clean up, and meat was meat.

It was feeling kind today though, so why not gather up any identifying marks and gather them together?

It'd make a good statement when the search teams came.

 _Ch. End_

 **Here we have a case of going from light to dark. What do you think?**

 **Also, review responses, because I don't have anything else to say right now!**

 **OccasionallyCompetent: Still not dead, hope you enjoy!**

 **Tounen: I actually thought of this a few years ago when I first found RWBY. Happens when your brother's a big fan of Monster Hunter.**

 **Star's Keyblade4114: It makes sense if you ask me. When you have weapons that are proven to work on Grimm and small fry but not on the big boys, you try things. Considering the book mentions the beasts fighting each other, it makes sense to use their natural weapons against them.**

 **Sonic: Hope you like this one too!**

 **That's all she wrote for this one people, wish me luck on finals!**


	10. Taste of What is to Come

**This is way too long coming and no apology could ever excuse it.**

 **I admit, I was lost with this story, couldn't figure out how to get to the endgame that I had envisioned. Tried a dozen things, maybe more, but it took a jaunt through Youtube and playing my first Monster Hunter game again to figure myself out.**

 **As such, we'll go back on the hunt. Today's target is something that no one has faced before, something that has lain dormant and gives the land monsters a true commander.**

 **The Najarala.**

 **However, another problem in the form of the Baggi scouts will keep Team JNPR occupied, so Team RWBY alone will have to confront the Najarala and its subordinates.**

 **The hunt is on.**

 _Taste of What is to Come_

 _-Ruby-_

I was having a good day when the message popped up.

We'd all gotten our homework done for the week after Yang insisted on having a weekend out on the town, which made us all buckle down and do it. You don't say no to concert tickets when your sister somehow procured eight of them.

This in turn had put Weiss in a good mood, which made me thankful for a variety of reasons, and she joined me in the many games I did during my free time and helped me figure out those little flashes I could make.

Now I had flashbangs built in! Woo!

Anyway, we'd also gotten to watch Yang very awkwardly start to flirt with Blake. When we'd first gotten put on this team, Yang had been all tease and no substance, per usual, but we'd all noticed her teases and innuendo give way to genuine compliments and hand ringing.

I'd never seen Yang so out of her depth, but Blake was kind enough to take it all in stride and not give Yang too much trouble. Well, most of the time, teasing begets more teasing, or something like that.

That had all been in the last two days, with Yang being awkward starting just that morning. Classes were going well, I was somehow paying attention, and I'd been pushed by Jaune in combat class for the first time ever! A really, really good day with the promise of working on weapons with Weiss later making it even better.

Then the message popped up, right in the middle of lunch.

I was on my second plate of pulled pork and cookies when I heard the ding. "Geez, I hope that's not a message from Port. I'll die if he adds more pages to that report."

My mumble went unheard by the others, engrossed in a debate over the benefits of liver and dark meat. I don't know what either had to do with the other, but we'd had stranger topics.

I sighed and pulled out my scroll, only to freeze when I saw the sender. Headmaster Ozpin had another mission for us, and it was practically jumping off the screen with how red the script was.

"Ruby, what's wrong?" Weiss asked as she turned away from the debate. "Did you grab oatmeal-raisin again?"

I gulped and turned my scroll to her. "Uh… not quite…"

Weiss stared at the scroll before her eyes narrowed. "Darn it, and here I was thinking I could get a head start on the history paper."

I groaned at the reminder. "Look, can you get everyone to finish up and head to the dorm? I need to get the details, or at least as many as I can."

Weiss nodded and started lecturing everyone, shutting down the debate with her ever-eloquent words and stirring voice. There's a reason she gave the speeches when I needed everyone's attention, I could only scream until everyone stopped talking.

But, with that, I ran from the cafeteria and blew through the halls. I was in such a hurry I almost ran several people over, but I made the elevator just shy of my record and fidgeted the whole way up to Ozpin's office.

"Professor Ozpin," I said as the doors opened. "You wanted to see me?"

Ozpin sipped from his mug and pulled up a screen, a video feed starting. "Thank you for joining me, Ms. Rose. We have a situation that needs Team JMPR, but it's different than the previous cases."

He tapped some keys on his desk and the video started to play. At first, all I saw was trees, but then something strange popped up. "Is that…?"

"Something not recorded." Ozpin answered as the massive snake-lizard slithered by, it's scales tipped in orange and hissing as it passed. "It's obviously one of the Beasts, but not one I know of. I'd ask you to go through your book upon your return, see if it's there, but prepare for battle. This video was taken in the Emerald Forrest not three hours ago."

I gulped. "Um, is there anything else?"

"There is," Ozpin said, another video popping up. "This was taken less than thirty minutes ago, around our northern border."

I watched as a pack of blue raptors climbed over the lip of the mountain ridge, a much larger one leading them. It seemed to sense the camera and looked right at it, an ugly sneer stretching over its maw before it barked and the video went black.

"That is a Baggi pack." Ozpin sighed. "Normally, I'd simply keep an eye on them, but they've begun moving in the direction a village just south of that camera's position. Aerial surveillance puts their arrival at three hours and we have no hunters or huntresses close enough to take care of them."

I didn't like the sound of this. "So… we're splitting the team?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Ozpin said, taking another sip. "I can get one of your teams to the Baggi pack in two hours, but the larger one must be held at bay. In your opinion, which team is best able to remove the Baggi's? The other will hold our guest at bay."

I gave it some thought. My team was a lot better at taking down singular targets with Blake and Weiss providing traps and distractions while Yang and I walloped them. "…Team JNPR. They're better at picking off small fry and have more options. My team can distract no problem."

"Good," Ozpin said, a smile showing his approval. "Have both teams ready to go within the hour. There'll be bullheads ready for both by then. Show them what these last weeks of training have done, and don't be afraid to remove any fool-hardy Grimm that get in your way."

I nodded and almost left, but another question came to mind. "Um… what about Professor Goodwitch? It would be _so_ reassuring to have her there."

"She's patrolling the coast." Ozpin answered. "We've had no incursions from the sea since you sent that Royal Ludroth packing and Professor Goodwitch slew the Gobul. However, that does not mean we can be lax, as these land incursions could be nothing more than a distraction."

That was smart, but I really would've like having Professor Goodwitch with us. Unknowns were… scary. "Alright, thanks for letting me know. We'll take care of this Professor!"

I didn't wait for a dismissal and ran back to the elevator, nerves making me more restless than usual. Once I was back in the halls, I blurred back to the dorms and slammed open the door. "We've got a mission!"

"Really?" Yang drawled, Ember Celica already out and getting calibrated. "Snowflake had us run here with plates in hand and start working not a minute after you left."

I blushed as I saw that everyone was already working. "Oh, I guess it is pretty obvious. Well, I got the nitty-gritty from Professor Ozpin."

"Don't keep us in suspense." Blake said as she handed Ren a set of shells. "What is it this time? That Ludroth show up again or some pack of Jaggi?"

I laughed sheepishly, everyone looking at me now. "See… we have to split up the team. There's two places we need to go."

Jaune shot up from polishing his shield. "What?! We've never had to be so far apart, even with the Qurupeco!"

"There's a pack of Baggi making for a village." I explained, making for the shelf that held the book. "They're to the north. The second's something Professor Ozpin's never seen, so I'm hoping it's in here. Looked like a giant snake with a beak and a crest."

The room quieted, Pyrrha eventually figuring out the plan. "We'll be dealing with the Baggi, Team JNPR."

"On the nose," I laughed. "You guys have more options there, my team's better at distraction. Now then… no… no… this looks promising."

I started to read the passage. "The Najarala is one of the few snakes to have survived the long night after their creation, only a coastal subspecies and the great Dalamadur joining it. The Najarala awaits its prey with patience and cunning, only the keenest of senses able to detect its presence before sound and fury fill the air."

The drawing was just as artsy as the others, but the head looked very similar to what I saw in the video. "Alright, it looks like the big guy's a Najarala. Ambush predator and it does something with sound, so we'll have to be careful."

"Be careful after you make your adjustments." Ren noted as his weapons flipped into his sleeves. "Heaven knows you've been dying to use those paralysis darts."

I chuckled. "Right you are, my good man. Now, where's my sweetheart? I need to give her a bit more power with all that armor I saw."

I looked around, frowning at a conspicuous absence. "Hey, where's Weiss? I wanted to take another look at her blade, see if the new mechanism's working well."

On cue, the door opened to show Weiss with my sweetheart over her shoulder. "Oh, Ruby, good. I had to take your weapon over to Professor Oobleck so he could load the darts. Hope you don't mind."

The room took a collective breath, much to my confusion. I mean, Yang and Blake had made a path, Jaune and Pyrrha had huddled together for protection, and Nora was holding out Ren as a bored looking sacrifice. Even Weiss had a glyph forming just in front of her.

I didn't see what the big deal was, so I shrugged. "Thanks Weiss, that saved me a trip. Mind showing me what he did? I'll help you with Myrtenaster's gears afterwards."

The room was silent for a moment before Yang began to hyperventilate, Blake fainting dead away. A moment later Nora jumped on Ren and started making out with him, Jaune falling to his knees and praying loudly while Pyrrha got a hungry glint in her eyes as she looked to Jaune.

Weiss gave voice to the reason for this madness. "You're not mad someone else touched Crescent Rose! Ruby, did someone drug your food? Did you eat one of those mushrooms growing in the gardens? Did… did you finally go to therapy?!"

I felt very insulted. I know I'm rather protective of my sweetheart, but I trusted my teammates. "Uh, you saved me a trip and I know Professor Oobleck does good work. Also, I can tell she's not damaged in the least, so why be mad?"

Yang passed out, apparently unable to reconcile what she knew about me and what she was seeing. I was secretly amused that she fell on Blake in a very interesting position and took a photo for future blackmail reasons.

"Wait," Nora gasped as she came up for air, Ren dazed beneath her. "So, this isn't the apocalypse?! We're not going to Rapture in the next few minutes?"

Weiss took a deep breath. "No… it appears not. No one's losing their virginity today, and I'm talking to you Pyrrha!"

I blinked before spotting a sheepish Pyrrha half-way out the door, a resigned Jaune being dragged behind her. "Oh, silly me. It looks like we were all overreacting."

Weiss glared before groaning. "Look, you guys get these drama queens up and moving, I'll help Ruby get ready. We have to be on those bullheads soon, and I don't fancy one of the targets reaching their goals."

That sobered everyone, Ren taking out some smelling salts for Yang and Blake while looking decidedly unamused. I mean, everyone knew him and Nora were a couple in all but name, but not reacting to _that?_

What on earth happened in their room on any given day to make that tame?

Weiss holding out my sweetheart stopped any further thoughts. "Give her a once over, then we'll talk my stuff. Don't get too in the grease, we don't need you slipping all over the place."

I giggled and took my sweetheart. Everyone started calling my dear by the proper objective case, and that's another twenty lien from Yang, weeks ago. Still made me laugh that they all finally caved. "I won't, not when we're dealing with a snake! Reminds me of this one time we had a snake in the house and I tried to catch it after helping dad with the truck."

I proceeded to tell the tale over Weiss's objections, but I still had to admire how well the paralysis darts fit in the firing chamber. Oobleck knew his stuff, even if his doctorate was in history, but I had a feeling it was Port or Peach that did the darts themselves.

After that, we moved on to Weiss. "So, how are those gears I recommended working?"

Weiss put her rapier on the bench and opened the gear casing. "Quite well, actually. The originals, while faster, couldn't take it when I accessed my power and the frost got into them. Fragility comes with the speed, but I've adapted to these nicely. The added durability makes it much easier to fight when we we're training our powers."

I nodded and looked at the gears, my trusty wrench in hand. I made a few adjustments and spun the chamber. "There, that should be a lot smoother. Really Weiss, you need to let me do this more often! I always make great changes, you've said it yourself!"

"But it's my weapon." Weiss countered as she tested the mechanism, the gears spinning smoothly. "The day you let me make adjustments to Crescent Rose instead of yourself is the day I let you do Myrtenaster instead."

I gasped at the thought. "You want to touch my sweetheart?! Take her out to dinner first why don't you?!"

If Weiss rolled her eyes any harder, they'd pop out. "Dolt, just get cleaned up. Your sister and Blake left a while ago since the room was still standing."

Oh, that's right. Yang came over to hug me while crying about 'growing up' while Blake held her nose with a truly irate glare in place. I don't know what Ren used in that bag of salts, but it must've been bad to make Blake smell it long after he'd put it away.

Regardless, a trip to the bathroom had me ready to go. "Alright, Weiss! Let's go get the big NR!"

"Again, with your codenames." Weiss muttered as we left the room. "You know no one actually uses those, right?"

I refused to accept that blasphemy, so I changed the subject. "So, from what I saw on the video, this guy's big. Like, really big. You'll probably need full power glyphs to bind it."

"That's a lot of power." Weiss muttered as we entered the main hall. "It'd probably be better if I work with Blake and attack the weak points while supporting you and Yang. Once it's weak, then I'll bind it."

I hummed at the idea. It wasn't bad if you asked me, but as with every plan we've come up with, it never lasts. "Well, this thing works with sound somehow. Maybe we should bring earplugs?"

"Too late for that," Weiss sighed as we arrived at the docks. "We'll just have to be careful."

I couldn't argue with that, so we climbed into the bullhead and took our seats. JNPR would arrive at their destination long after we got to ours, probably even after we were done, so I kind of envied them.

Then I remembered Jaune's terrible track record with travel and silently wished them luck.

Our trip was otherwise silent, Blake in her book and Yang rocking out to something on her scroll. I was doing some last-minute adjustments while Weiss… meditated, for lack of a better term.

We'd all started having our own habits as the year wore on, especially as we'd trained with Goodwitch and fought the Grimm. Honestly, this was our first Beast in almost a month and I was kind of nervous.

Then my scroll buzzed, a message from Ozpin popping up. A quick look made me groan. "Darn it, we have another bunch in the forest. Looks like a… Iodrome and Jaggi pack, Great versions included."

My team groaned too. Well, Yang did after Blake pulled out her headphones and told her. "Geez, now we got to split up too? Where did these guys come from?"

"Probably the deep woods." Blake hypothesized. "There's no surveillance there with all the Grimm, but I've heard that their numbers have been dropping recently. Maybe the Beasts are settling the score with their old enemies?"

I would love that personally. They could battle it out in the wild and leave us alone, but heroes never got that lucky. Nope, we had to go and get right in the middle of them.

Dreams do come true.

"We'll take it as we go." I said, everyone looking to me. "Weiss and I have been in these woods a lot for Port's assignments, we'll track down the Naja. Blake, Yang, I know you're both strong enough to take on those packs without too much issue. After they're done with, track our scrolls and meet up. We'll get a better plan together."

I got nods all around, so we settled in for the rest of the ride. We were dropped off at the ridge we'd been taken to for initiation and I could see some cleared patches in the forest. "Looks like they've been busy."

"Lots of Nevermore feathers." Blake muttered, a pair of binoculars materializing in her hands. "I bet there's a fight going on if they haven't dissolved yet."

On cue, a Nevermore shot out of the forest, its screech filling the air before it jolted and fell out of the sky.

We all stared for a moment before exchanging glances and drawing our weapons.

"Alright girls, this is it!" I started. "You all know what to do but remember to be careful. These are Beasts, not concrete, your Aura can only do so much against them."

"Roger!"

With that, we jumped into the woods and split up. The packs were marked to the north side of the forest while the Naja had been seen in the east. Considering where the nevermore came from, Weiss and I made a beeline for its crash site.

Once we were there, I held up a fist, something buzzing in the air. "Quiet, I think it's nearby."

I heard the revolver on Myrtenaster slide into place. Judging on where I'd seen it earlier and the number of clicks, Weiss had gone with ice per usual. Couldn't comment though, not as a heard of Beowolves came hurtling out of the trees.

We were ready and willing to take them all down, but something shot from the tree line and slammed into the ground amongst the Beowolves. A moment later, some kind of high-pitched rattle screeched through the air, nearly making my ears bleed.

I was distracted from my pain when the things on the ground shook in time with the rattle before freaking exploding. The Beowolves didn't know what hit them, the shards from the objects punching straight through them and making all but one Major die instantly.

That Major had barely a second to howl in defiance before a massive serpent dashed forward and seized it in its jaws. A quick jerk later and the Major fell limp, dissolving to nothing.

"Holy… crap…" I breathed as the Najarala shook itself. "That is one big lizard."

Weiss was equally impressed. "It must be at least forty meters… even the Ludroth wasn't this big…"

We silently agreed that engaging was a bad idea, but seeing it slaughter Grimm did little for our understanding of its defenses. All I could tell was that its scales were super thick and the beak looked like a nightmare.

"It's underbelly," Weiss whispered as the Naja began to dig. "If it's a burrower, then its underbelly should be soft to let it go through the ground easier, make it more streamlined. But, why have that huge crest if you're a burrower?"

The answer came a moment later when the damn thing disappeared into the earth, only to burst out of the ground beneath our perch and lunge for me. I took a swing that caught on the crest and carried me away from its jaws, but my sweetheart did nothing but scratch it. "Defense and intimidation, now book it!"

Weiss fired her ice and bound the Naja's feet, its crest shaking and rattling. I'd barely hit the ground when it shrieked, the noise sending a lance of pain into my head. Weiss responded with a roar of her own, the Naja reeling in surprise before it started batting at its bindings.

We retreated while I fired potshots the whole time, satisfied that at least a few stung the thing. Problem was, we didn't get more than a hundred yards before it was barreling into us again. Weiss took a glancing blow, but it still sent her into a tree.

I blurred away and started swinging where I could. The scales on its lower body weren't as tough, so I got some gashes in, but I'd have gotten more if the thing would hold still! It was contorting into all kinds of weird shapes and I didn't like it one bit!

Then it went into the ground and shot right back up, catching my leg and sending me spinning. A wall of ice sprung up to protect me, but I didn't have time to thank Weiss before things started slamming into it.

"It's scales!" Weiss shouted over the Naja's growls and grunts. "The thing's shooting scales at us!"

On cue, the crest rattled again, the high-pitched noise returning. The scales in the wall began to shake too, then they shattered along with the ice. It was only my quick reflexes and Aura that kept me from getting stabbed.

"We need Yang!" I called as the Naja lunged for Weiss, Myrtenaster shifting to gravity dust. "Neither of us have the power to break those scales!"

The glyph flashed into existence, the sudden increase in weight slamming the Naja to the ground. It just got pissed though and picked itself up, its roar shaking the air again. Weiss jumped away and rolled, a yellow glyph coming to life. As she sped up, I used the distraction to get in close and land some nasty slashes on its belly.

The Naja screeched again, scales flying off its tail at random. They all missed me and Weiss, so I didn't pay much attention, but I had to put up a shield with my Aura when it whipped around and tried to bite me.

Then its tail slammed into me and sent me into a cluster of scales. I just barely put up a full shield before the rattle reached me and the scales exploded, but I was panting after using so much energy.

"Ruby!" Weiss called as she ran towards me, a massive wall of ice blocking the Naja's charge. "Are you ok?"

I nodded and stood. "Yeah, this thing's just so damn relentless. Even the Ludroth wasn't trying this hard to kill us."

Weiss didn't respond, only grabbing me and rolling as the Naja went under the wall and tried to wrap us in its coils. I gasped as I felt it's fangs sink into my leg, the Naja wrenching me from Weiss's grasp and flailing around, aiming to break me on the ground or the trees.

My Aura did all it could, but I was still beaten black and blue by the time I was able to plant Crescent Rose in its eye and make it let me go. The screech was the worst I'd heard, its body thrashing in pain and rage with its tail clubbing me straight into Weiss.

"We need to go, now!" Weiss panted, clearly tired. She'd been devastating our surroundings trying to make the Naja break its grip on me, but the fear of hitting me had only succeeded in putting some nasty wounds on it, but not near enough to kill or even slow the Naja.

I tried to stand, but my leg wouldn't move. I tried to tell Weiss when I felt every muscle in my body lock-up. I couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't blink. I was completely paralyzed, completely helpless, and I'd never been more scared in all my life.

The Naja, as if sensing this, began to growl strangely. Then, a sonic boom shot from its maw and slammed into us, sending us both flying. I still couldn't move when I rolled to a stop and Weiss was nowhere I could see.

Then I heard it, the thud of massive feet and the hiss of scales on grass.

The Naja entered my sight and glared down at me. I still couldn't move, but I had to do something. Something to distract it, to get time… that's it!

I focused my power, feeling my eye shift as the black lightning flashed into existence. The Naja grunted in surprise, but I focused on putting as much power into the lightning as I could while forming it into balls.

Then I sent them forth with a silent command, the balls flying into the Naja and detonating.

Miniature suns bloomed with light while the fury of thunder boomed through the woods. I couldn't close my eyes with the paralysis and everything went white, ears rendered deaf by the boom. Once the ringing settled down, I could see the Naja slouched over and whining, apparently in a similar state to me though with a large scorch mark stretching across its body.

Then it shook off the shock and advanced again, its gaze wearier. **"Power… though incomplete…"**

My eyes would've widened if they could. Did… did the Naja just speak?"

It sniffed and chuffed. **"Yes… I doth speak, hatchling… you are no hunter, though you aspire to be… it would be best to nip you while you're still a bud…"**

It loomed over me, jaws open and ready to end my life. **"I take no pleasure in this… but my people must be avenged. I will… puzzle out how you could hear me later…"**

I blinked, was stunned that I could blink, then rolled away as the Naja slammed into the spot I just was, coming up with a rock in maw. It bit the stone into rubble and glared, its tail cutting off my escape and its body constricting me a moment later.

 **"** **You fought off the poison quickly…"** The Naja noted. **"A shame you were human… a Stygian like you would've won the war…"**

I couldn't breathe as the scales pressed in, their edges digging through my clothes and into my skin. Where the hell was Weiss? Did the blast really send her that far away?

"Let go of her!"

A lance of lightning slammed into the Naja, making it screech in pain and let me go. I fell to the ground, gasping for breath, but I looked over towards the shout to see Weiss standing there. She was disheveled with her hair loose, but I've never seen something so beautiful in all my life.

Problem was, I'm pretty sure my ribs were broken along with my leg being a bloody mess. I wasn't going to be moving any time soon.

The Naja knew this and charged Weiss, scales flying forth. Weiss slid underneath them and summoned a glyph, skating around the Naja's charge and leaving a dozen cuts in its hide before stopping and stabbing its tail, the blade glowing red.

With a yell, she turned the blade and the tail came off, the Naja screeching in unholy pain and rage. Weiss didn't get to savor her victory as the Naja moved with unnatural speed, even by my standards, and swatted her through several trees.

 **"** **I… will deal with you first…"** The Naja panted, blood gushing from its tail stump where Myrtenaster hadn't cauterized flesh. " **Then… it shall be your friend… who suffers for this… indignity…"**

I'd been kind of awed by Weiss's attack, but I was smart enough to start limping away. I'm not tooting my own horn when I say even my limp is fast enough to beat Yang in a race, but it wasn't long before the Naja's paw slammed into my back and pinned me to the ground.

 **"** **Now… now I take pleasure in this…"** The Naja hissed, its tongue brushing my ear and taking off skin. **"You should've followed your ancestor's example…"**

 **"** **And gone for the throat…"**

I could almost feel the Naja's neck tense, ready to bite my head off. All I could really do at that point was pray that Weiss, Blake, or Yang would show up and fix this mess.

And… silently apologize for not telling Yang I was the one who messed up Bumblebee's shocks and transmission.

Or that I accidently threw Blake's book into the incinerator.

Or that I stole Weiss's notes… many times…

Wow, I had a lot to apologize for.

I closed my eyes and got ready. "I'll see you soon… Mommy."

The blow never came. All I felt was the paw lift off me followed by the screech of the Naja and a familiar roar. I opened my eyes and looked over to see something… sickening.

Weiss had run headlong into the Naja, claws of ice covering her arms and legs while massive saber teeth stuck out of her upper jaw. The claws and teeth were tearing the Naja open, its cries of pain and rage slowly petering into calls for help. Even those became weaker as Weiss ripped open its guts, viscera and blood splashing and splattering across her white hair and the ground.

And the stench…

I vomited. What little was in my gut after this fight fled as the Naja quieted, it's body nothing more than a shell filled with shredded meat. I watched it die, the light fading from its one good eye, and heard Weiss raging and snarling as she continued to tear long after it was dead.

"Weiss… it's dead…"

The snarls stopped, Weiss wrenching herself free of the corpse. Every part of her was stained red, and I knew she'd probably be mad about ruining another dress, but I was far more concerned and scared when she turned to me.

Both of her eyes were slits, scales replacing the skin of the orbits. The claws of ice looked sharper than any blade, even as the blood streamed down them, and there was rage in every inch of her body.

Rage that I'd inadvertently directed at myself.

"I'm ok… Weiss…" I tried as she stalked towards me. "Please… come back… it's… over…"

Weiss continued to glare, claws reared back as she came up to me. Her intent was clear, even as I silently pleaded for her to calm down, but then she relaxed. "…Ruby?"

I nodded, glad to see the slits starting to disappear. "Yes, Weiss… I'm ok…"

Weiss kneeled, and her claws stroked my cheek, making a line as it cut. "You're… ok… good…"

She slumped and thudded as she hit the ground. "No one… hurts… my dolt… my leader…"

"No one…. Hurts my friend."

Hearing her call me that meant the world. We'd known each other for months now, but she'd never called me her friend before. Too bad we both had to nearly die, again, to have it happen.

"Rest, Weiss." I whispered as her eyes closed and the tattoo began to form on her arm, the ice carving it into her skin. "We'll… we'll be home soon."

Weiss nodded and went still, only the rise of her chest showing she was alive. I smiled, glad she was ok, before feeling exhaustion take hold.

My last sight was yellow hair and lavender eyes, a roughed-up Yang pulling me into her arms as she called for Blake to get them home.

Then, I rested.

With many more questions than answers.

 _Ch. End_

 **Woo! Chapter done!**

 **I hope you guys enjoy the fight with the Najarala, I've never actually fought him since I don't have the mobile games so I had to improvise and use videos. This shows a taste of a four-star monster, one that wasn't taking them all that seriously until Ruby went boom and Weiss cut off his tail.**

 **Others won't be so cavalier or reluctant. If the Najarala had been serious from the start, both would've died quickly. Speed only does so much regarding his armor and Weiss would've been targeted first because of that.**

 **There's work to be done, for sure.**

 **Anyway, I bring you the update! Long time coming, but I like it! Hope you do too!**


	11. Stirrings

**Once again, a long time coming, but here we are.**

 **Let's go check in on our favorite bunch of numbskull monster hunters, shall we?**

 _Stirrings_

I did not like hospitals.

They always smelled like old-people and too clean halls, but it was worse whenever you had to go down the surgery ward and smell the aftermath of a finished operation. You'd think with my kind of training and the various baddies my team fought on a regular basis, blood wouldn't be all that bad.

Well… if it was mine, sure.

Unfortunately, when I woke up in the all too familiar infirmary, I looked over to find Weiss getting wheeled in beside me with bandages all over her body. As I watched, red began to bleed through the white just a bit before the sight was blocked by a coat.

"For heaven's sake, why is she bleeding so much? I've stitched everything closed, gotten rid of all the shrapnel, and her aura signs are steady. She shouldn't be bleeding!"

Oh, that was… what was the doctor's name again? You'd think after being here enough times, I'd know her on sight.

"Relax, Doctor, it's only her arm. I assure you, the bleeding will stop soon, and I say that in my professional opinion as an MD."

That was Ozpin… why did it not surprise me he was a medical doctor too?

"You can take your opinion and shove it, Headmaster. The only reason I'm not getting a bullhead into Vale right this minute is because it's isolated and slow flowing. Anything else and we'd be at Vale Memorial before you could tender my resignation!"

Her name was on the tip of my tongue… Dr. Nadya!

I must've said it aloud, because the coat whirled around, and annoyed green eyes found me. "Well look who joined the living! You're quite lucky, Ms. Rose, I have half a mind to tie you to that bed permanently."

I was not in the mood for our usual banter about my poor life choices. "Is… she ok?"

Dr. Nadya dropped the playful air she'd put on, face drooping in exhaustion. "She is, minus the bleeding on her arm, but it wasn't easy. I don't know what happened, but I had to chip ice off her limps then extract the shards, in addition to some kind of shrapnel she had just about everywhere."

That sounded about right, considering what the Naja was capable of. "But… she'll be fine?"

Nadya smiled and patted my shoulder, which thankfully didn't hurt. "She will. Honestly, it's you who got the worst of it this time. Three broken ribs, lens damage, multiple limb fractures, dislocated shoulder, muscle spasms, and don't get me started on the shrapnel in your back. If it weren't for your aura repairing the damage, you'd be crippled or worse."

That was… sobering. "We… ran into a bad fight. I don't know how, but that thing knew we were there… wouldn't let us just observe."

Nadya shook her and sighed. "Well, them's the breaks. Ozpin still refuses to explain what it is you and your friends must go and fight, but I can feel him staring a hole through my head. You, bedrest, whole week."

She turned on her heel and left before I could give a witty response. I was… just too tired to try, honestly.

"We must stop meeting like this, Ms. Rose." Ozpin said as he pulled up a chair and sat next to me. "Though, for once, I have no lecture. Your sister and Ms. Belladonna filled me in on your plan, and I must say, it would have been optimal under any other circumstances."

There was a but coming, there always was.

"Unfortunately, these were not ideal circumstances. Your sister has lent me your book on the Beasts, and the Najarala was perhaps the worst one to attempt the split and observe strategy. Now, you knew not of this and there lies no fault in it, but you must understand."

He leaned in close, looking over his glasses with utter seriousness. "The more powerful the Beast, the greater their senses and ferocity. As the Najarala showed, they are cunning enough to determine the threat they face and formulate a strategy. In this case, it knew you weren't expecting a relentless assault, so that's what it did."

He folded his arms over his cane. "Frankly Ms. Rose, while your control over your powers continues to improve, you need more experience in the field than just the exercises Professor Port and Professor Goodwitch take everyone on."

I was silent. Really, I could only agree with him, especially now that my injuries were making themselves known. "I… understand, Professor."

Ozpin nodded and stood, a glass of water appearing in his hand. "Here, this should help. Get some rest and talk with your friends, you'll have this week and the next off as I figure out how to get you where you need to be."

"Also, as I'm sure you saw, Ms. Schnee went feral as well. When you can, please submit a report to me."

I took the water and drank, nodding when I was done. "I'll… do that sir. Will everyone come to visit soon?"

"They're outside, resting." Ozpin said as he made for the door. "It's quite late though, so forgive them if they don't come in until the morning."

I blinked as he waved goodbye. Actually, now that I looked around, the lights of the infirmary were on and the shattered moon was shining bright in the night sky outside. We'd left just before noon, so we'd been out of it for a while.

I sighed and leaned back onto my pillow. It was one thing to hear about my injuries and feel them, but as I laid there, the image of Weiss bearing down on me with such _rage_ in her eyes hovered over me.

It was like looking at a completely different person. Something that was almost unnatural. Not our favorite prickly snowflake who was secretly addicted to less than healthy donuts. She thought I didn't know why she spent the extra hours in the gym, but no one got sweets past me!

…I was tired, just thinking that took a lot of energy. Not even a twinge of my funny bone.

A sigh passed my lips and I looked to Weiss again. She was sleeping soundly, but I could see just a little furrow in her brow. That was the 'I'm angry' look, but I could see a twitch in her lip that told me she was seeing something… sad.

Being partners led to noticing stuff like this. Heck, Yang and Blake had telepathy for all intents and purposes, to the point Blake could feel a craving for tuna and Yang would already have a tuna salad sandwich ready to go.

Jaune and Pyrrha too, I could name a dozen examples of those two and their mind-meld. Same with Ren and Nora, but those two were like that well before becoming official partners.

Weiss and I though, we ran on facial expressions and body language. If you asked her, I was the easiest book to read since grade-school, but Weiss had her own set of ticks and twitches that always slipped through. Like if you got her eyes to narrow, that was normally a bad thing, but if she was digging a nail into her sleeve at the same time, she was trying not to laugh.

 _Alright, Ruby, you can do this! There must be a way to get Weiss out of whatever she's seeing and get you to sleep…Aha!_

This idea was likely very silly and childish, but it had worked on me for years and years. Even Yang swore by using it whenever she was too hyper to get to sleep. Let's… just say I was glad she wouldn't be hearing this.

I hadn't done a lullaby in a while.

 _Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,  
Smiles await you when you rise.  
Sleep,  
Pretty baby,  
Do not cry,  
And I will sing a lullaby._

 _Cares you know not,  
Therefore sleep,  
While over you a watch I'll keep.  
Sleep,  
Pretty darling,  
Do not cry,  
And I will sing a lullaby._

It was more for myself, really, but I sang it where I thought Weiss would hear. It seemed to work too, as I watched her face relax and her bandaged arm fell onto the sheets in easy reach. I don't know what possessed me, but I reached across with my uninjured arm and wrapped my fingers around her wrist.

"Rest well, Weiss. I'm… so glad you're ok."

I drifted off to sleep as the lullaby hummed through my mind. It really was such a soothing song, and it had helped me through a lot all these years.

…Another thing I'll have to thank Mom for.

 _-Weiss-_

I don't know what roused me, but I was rightly irritated that the pleasant melody in my head was interrupted by what sounded like giggles and clicking cameras.

 _Damn it all, did I fall asleep in the library again?_

One eye creaked open only to shut as a flash of light shot a lance of pain into my skull.

"Nora, no flash!"

"Come on, it's too cute!"

I tried to growl, but no sound came out. Instead I slowly opened the other eye to see my compatriots surrounding me with scrolls out and taking pictures. What in the name of all that was holy were they doing?

"Yang, stop drawing on the bandages, Dr. Nadya's going to be mad."

"Ah, she won't seem 'em."

Ok, that could only mean I was in the infirmary. Let's see… oh right, we went on a mission, fought a giant lizard-snake called a Najarala, and Ruby got pinned after we'd gotten smacked around and caused it some major pain…

Wait, where's Ruby?!

The thought jolted me awake and forward, scaring the daylights out of the others if their screams meant anything. I was more concentrated on the blinding pain that shot through me and concern for my dolt of a partner. "Ruby!"

I felt something grip my wrist and looked to my left, Ruby's bandaged and bruised body in the next bed. How she was reaching across the gap and sleeping escaped me, but at least she was breathing. After that brief rush of relief, I spotted Ruby's hand coiled around my wrist.

Well, that explained the pictures and giggles.

With what I'm sure was a dignified glare, I looked to my guests. "Put those scrolls down and have some decency why don't you? We're injured parties, not side-show attractions."

Yang put her scroll away with a big grin. "Come on, Snowflake, it's cute seeing you both hold hands like old friends!"

"Yeah!" Nora… quiet shouted. I'm unsure as to what else it could be called.

I simply huffed and nodded to Ruby's hand. "We're not holding hands, fool. She's grabbing my wrist, which I might add, really hurts."

Yang clearly didn't believe me, but Blake was ever sensible and started giving me a rundown. "So, now that you're up, I'll tell you what Dr. Nadya told us. You came in with shrapnel everywhere, from the head down, and you used so much ice that it entombed your arms and legs. Dr, Nadya had to chip it off then extract the stuff that had gone into your skin."

That sounded revolting, but by the looks of things, I still had all my fingers and toes. "Then I will thank her when I see her, again. Really, they may as well name this ward after us."

"It's not like we're single-handedly filling the beds." Ren noted with his usual calm. "We just happen to be here a little more often than the others."

Jaune sighed and tapped on the cast he was wearing. "Not when team CFVY comes in baring flowers every other day. One of us is in here so often, most of our other friends have a damned system going."

It was rather disheartening to hear that, but the evidence was irrefutable. I mean, there were flowers with get well cards gathered to my right and a platter of cookies was next to Ruby as well. Velvet had even left a signed card, the sweet girl.

"Continuing," Blake sighed as Yang wandered over to Ruby's side. "Jaune broke his arm when the Great Baggi and its gang ambushed them, landed right on his shield. Ren got some bruises and Pyrrha took a few slashes on her legs and shoulders, but they're already healed. Nora got a concussion when the Baggi gang triggered a rock slide, but she was fine after a storm rolled through and she got to smashing."

Why was I not surprised? "And you?"

Blake tapped her back. "I took more than a few claws and teeth back here, but they were mostly glancing blows. One of the bastards was able to dig in a claw, left a scar that loops around to my hip. Yang over there refused to believe that they were big enough to hurt her, but getting hit by two tail swipes and a body slam almost broke her ankle. Got some burns when she held the Jaggi down and blew it up."

Heaven, it sounded like Blake was almost disemboweled from behind! Yang at least was built like a truck and could shrug off being thrown into concrete, but even her aura couldn't stop all the damage.

"You know, I've been wondering something." Nora said as she floated on by, Ren supporting her newest, and literal, flight of fancy. "Most everyone's auras can take punishment like it's nothing, like in combat class. Yet, when we go against the Beasts, it's like our auras are… thinner, I guess?"

That… was an amazing observation! Who knew that Nora's general flighty mind could strike on such a novel idea?

"I thought it was just the force behind their blows." Pyrrha muttered, playing with her ponytail. "But now that you mention it, I have noticed that my aura is weaker whenever a Beast strikes me. It's almost like… I can't access it fully."

That was true. I was putting a lot of power into my aura whenever we came to blows with the Beasts, because that's what we needed to survive. Yet, with the Grimm…

"Holy mackerel." Jaune breathed, apparently realizing something. "That's why my arm hasn't been healing like normal. I bet the Beasts have… anti-Aura abilities or something. That would make them so much more dangerous than Grimm, especially to unprepared Hunters."

I personally believe at least one of us-Blake-was hung up on the thought of a holy fish, but Jaune's idea made far too much sense. "Is… that why Ruby's all wrapped up?"

Everyone went silent, which sent a thrill of alarm down my spine. "Guys… is she ok? She's breathing, I can tell that much, but is there something else I should know?"

No one was willing to talk for a whole minute before Yang groaned. "Ok, I'll spill. Ruby got real beat up in that fight, even more so than when she went feral against the Qurupeco. Broken ribs, limbs, eye damage, random muscle spasms, and all kinds of shrapnel in her back. Doc was able to get almost everything out, so her aura just needs to finish pushing out what the Doc couldn't get at and finish up. It'll be a week at least."

My world paused. That… that couldn't be right, Ruby was moving just fine. Admittedly with a limp, but she hadn't been bleeding last I saw, and she was only bruised from the damned Naja tossing her around. There was no way I'd allowed so much damage to go unnoticed, I just didn't let something like that go.

…Right?

Yang, in an unusual show of empathy where I'm concerned, stood and started guiding everyone away. "Alright, let's give these two their beauty sleep. We still have our own things to do, but remember Snowflake, we're investigating the minute you and Rubes are up to it."

I nodded absently, not really paying attention. My gaze was locked on Ruby, so I almost didn't hear one more comment Yang made as they left.

"Geez, the way she looks at Rubes. Wonder if Snowflake even knows what a crush is."

I launched an extra pillow in a vain attempt to silence the cheeky blonde, but the doors slid shut and my weapon of vengeance slapped against the doors before slumping upon the ground in defeat.

Of course I knew what a crush was, anyone with any social knowledge knew. This wasn't a crush though, this was utter worry and abject loathing. I am a Schnee and I swore to Ruby I'd be the best partner ever. Considering I didn't notice just how badly my partner was hurting, I'd betrayed that oath, and that was a blow my pride simply would not tolerate.

As such, I would become her caretaker, it was the only way to forgive myself for letting such a breach of my promise occur. Ruby may not want me to fuss over her, I did enough of that already, but damn it she was my partner.

…She was my friend, and I would rather stroll naked through the grounds than see my first honest friend in _years_ if not my _entire life_ suffer because of me.

I felt my arm burn as passion roared in my breast and I felt the distinct urge to take off the bandages. Following the urge was nothing more than idle curiosity, but as I unwound the cloth and gauze, my pulse quickened with panic.

Jagged lines and crags of blue pulsed with white energy in tune to my quickening pulse. The colors formed images of… slaughter and death so profound and unsettling, I felt my stomach heave with revulsion.

I couldn't cover the filthy thing fast enough.

 _That… that's like Ruby's mark. Oh no… I went feral!_

It was the only reason for this… stain to appear. Ruby had said it showed up after they'd been nearly killed by the Qurupeco, so maybe… she'd noticed Ruby's state and been so afraid she'd lost all control.

…Then perhaps she'd already paid the price for being negligent.

 _No, I can't think of this like a debt, Ruby would get on my case if I did that. Just… do it because you care about your friend's well-being. That's what all the self-help books say._

I was not so arrogant as to believe I was always above those around me. In maturity, most of the time sure, but I was also not experienced in the realm of caring about others. Live most of your life alone while being used as a doll until your older sister ups and leaves, see if you turn out better.

Bitterness aside, I settled into my bed and hummed the melody that had calmed me. I don't know where it came from, but I was willing to let the sudden inspiration take its course.

I also may have… grabbed Ruby's hand. I'd had to make her let go to untie the bandages, so better to make up for it.

…

…

No matter what Dr. Nadya says, I was not smiling after I fell asleep, nor did I 'entwine my fingers in a loving grip'.

Mad, the lot of them.

…In my defense, Ruby's grip is very soothing, I needed it to calm down from finding my mark.

…

…

I had it bad, didn't I?

 _-Vale Harbor-_

 **"** **Another has fallen."**

The announcement was greeted with hisses and growls, the congregation much larger than it was barely a month ago. The rulers of the sea were beginning to gather, yet many of the Elders still slept.

 **"** **The land walkers are slow to gather."** Ar'dynle said, the great Lagiacrus shaking dust from his scales. **"And the sky swimmers even more so. I know that the enemy is in far greater abundance upon the land and sky, but this is… strange."**

A croaking hiss turned the congregation's attention to a scarred Royal Ludroth, only one eye present in its skull. **"It is the children of man, the ones that smell of power. My forays into the rivers with my concubines have yielded at least that much."**

A Plesioth by the name of Cra'se stalked forward, fins bristling with coiled muscle. **"Your forays have met only the raptors, none else. If you are to be believed, then children have been keeping even the wolves and brutes at bay."**

Se'to, the Royal Ludroth Team RWBY had fought near the beginning of their time at Beacon, growled. **"That's why we're here, is it not? To discuss why our fellows have yet to appear!"**

A thud rang through the hollow, all eyes turning to the burning Elder steaming in his personal pool. **"Enough, bickering amongst the representatives will not be tolerated. Ja'bas, has there been any word from the scouts to the other continents?"**

An angler's lantern lowered from the ceiling to reveal a gaping maw filled with teeth. **"None from the southern or northern groups yet, but the western team sent a messenger. The land there is almost crawling with the Enemy, but they've spotted a Sky Queen and several others patrolling the air far from the nearest human settlement."**

Ha'rok, the Elder known as a Dire Moralis, grinned. **"Good… then the Sky King should join soon with his fellows. Der'sal, have your lessers infiltrated the waterways of this settlement?"**

The beady eyes of a Cephadrome hiding near the entrance of the cave sparkled in answer. **"Mostly, my Lord. One of the more… adventurous ones is investigating a possible entrance into something the humans call an information tower."**

Ha'rok hummed as the congregation discussed that news. Gaining access to more information was always good, but how to interface with something so… alien? If there was one thing he had to admire about the humans, it was their never-ending need to create, no matter if it be good or ill.

The sound of crumbling stone halted all conversation, every eye and maw turning to the middle of the cave. Lightning, fire, and water gathered to end whoever dared intrude upon this meeting, but the powers faded as magma encrusted beak burst from the floor to reveal a sail-backed leviathan with bright blue eyes.

 **"** **Agnaktor,"** Ha'rok rumbled, the leviathan of fire bowing reverently. **"Speak thy name and purpose."**

The Agnaktor reared up, pride radiating like the heat it commanded. **"I am called Te'wep, my Lord. I have come baring word from my Lieges in the northern continent."**

 **"** **The Elder To'ev and the Elder Ae'sor send their regards and ask for a meeting."**

The cave descended into pandemonium, but Ha'rok and Ar'dynle watched Te'wep closely. If those names truly meant what the oldest leviathans here thought they meant…

…Then that gathering, festival the humans called it, would indeed be the best place to… formally announce their return.

Ha'rok wanted to see the Wizard and Witch's faces when that happened.

 _-Vale, White Fang Recruitment Venue-_

The snake in the rafters knew not what the half-lings below were up to, but it did know that whatever it was benefited the Enemy.

It cared not about the lone pair of humans among them, hemming and hawing about how hard it was to acquire something called a mech. There were also various complaints about being slow and 'business being interrupted' but the snake paid little attention.

Instead, it gazed at the metal men that were folded up on the ground and the strange object that lay underneath some kind of fur. They smelled of nothing but steel and pitch, no life in them, which made the snake wonder why such things were made in the first place.

A noise made the snake sink deeper into the shadows, a female human walking into the cavernous building and striding over to the other pair. She began to speak with the man who had orange fur on his head.

It could not hear the conversation, but risking its stealth wasn't worth the trouble.

Whatever was said took little time, for the woman was soon on her way out. The snake knew not who that woman was, but it knew this for certain.

She held the taint of the Witch and the Enemy around her like a fog, so powerful it was noticeable from so far away. The two that met her at the door and followed her outside carried the same stench.

The snake tasted the air, waiting for the witchlings to leave before hissing. It couldn't leave, not yet, but the Elder would hear of this.

It was so like the humans to ally with something that wishes nothing but destruction on them.

Damned fools.

 _-Atlas, Mountain-_

It was rather impressive, gazing down on the towers of steel and rock that humans had created.

Where once they could barely manage simple buildings of stone, those in the present had clearly advanced far beyond their more… naive ancestors.

It was almost a shame it would all go down in flames.

 **"** **I hear that rumble, To'ev."** A great monster of white plate and ice harrumphed. **"You and I both know sparing them will only give the Witch and the Enemy an advantage."**

The Ukanlos's companion snorted and pawed at the snow, frustration apparent. **"We had allies amongst the humans once, Ae'sor, you know this. I simply question why we must make them our enemies again when the true threat still exists."**

Ae'sor rumbled as he moved, his great bulk carrying him through the snow like a plow. **"The power the Enemy draws from them is too much and they killed many of our kin for little reason than a desire for trophies. Doubtless, some deserve better, but you know we cannot be hesitant."**

To'ev snorted again and stood, snow falling off his gleaming silver scales. **"I know, we'd not have sent for Ha'rok if that were not the case. I simply pity them."**

Black-red energy gathered into To'ev's wings, his next words mournful. **"Were it not for the kindness of that woman, so long ago, we would not be so hesitant."**

The Valphak shot into the air without another word, Ae'sor watching him go with an equally mournful call. Truly, it was sad, as that woman that had first approached their kin was truly a unique existence.

Why else would her descendants, bearing the same silver eyes they'd granted her for her compassion, betray that trust and seal them? Had they not done so, the Witch's influence would have been destroyed.

And the world would have had peace.

Truly regrettable.

 _-Ruby-_

I woke up with a jolt. I don't know what I saw, but it looked like the Beasts were having meetings of some sort. I mean, I knew they were intelligent, but organization of that scale?

Then there were those big guys too… scary stuff.

Though it was obviously a dream, I mean Beasts being friendly? That was a wild thought for sure, but the Naja did say it regretted having to kill me… until Weiss cut off its tail, but who wouldn't be pissed?

Anyway, I was awake and suffering the kind of soreness reserved for Yang & Pyrrha's Physical Fitness Power Hour TM. Considering I was still in the infirmary bed, I was honestly kind of wishing that was the reason I ended up here in the first place.

"About time you woke up."

I blinked and looked over to find Weiss grinning at me. "Oh… hey…"

Weiss gestured to the table between our beds, a plate of cookies sitting on it. "You had some well-wishers while we were out of it. Dr. Nadya told me we had to put a lot of sugar into our systems, for reasons I still fail to fathom, so why not share these with me?

…

"Ruby?"

I stared at her a moment longer before starting my search for the hidden camera.

"Ruby, I'm serious!" Weiss protested, cheeks flushing pink. "Geez, I'm not above sweets if they're on doctor's orders, so stop thinking this is some elaborate prank!"

I wasn't quite ready to let this go, but better to humor her. "Alright, if you say so. Um, I do know we'll be here a while, so… what do we do?"

Weiss smirked and waved to the foot of her bed.

Where a big screen TV, with my game systems and a dozen movies I'd been dying to see, was waiting.

"…Weiss, remember that talk we had about throwing money around?"

She could not have rolled her eyes any harder. "Dolt, the others brought all this for us. Yes, I had to pay for their lunch, but that's it. May as well enjoy our stay, if only so we don't die of boredom. Getting all your work done on time pays off, no?"

I had to laugh at that, even though it made my chest burn. It actually was kind of nice not having any other work hanging over our heads.

"Hold on, give me a second."

I blinked and looked over to see Weiss press some buttons on her bed, which made it roll towards me until Weiss was close enough to reach over and pat my hand. "We're going to relax, got it? We took down a four-star Beast, no small feat. I think some indulgence is worth it."

I couldn't help but blink at Weiss's friendly behavior. "Weiss… I'm not dying, am I?"

Weiss looked like I'd called her hair ugly. "What, no! You are going to be just fine, I just felt you deserved something after doing so well in such a terrible position."

I kind of smiled. Weiss was being her usual self, just with an added sprinkle of finally calling me her friend off her chest. Really, there was no reason to turn her down, and I could tell she was nervous by the tiny twitch of her eye.

"Well what are we waiting for? I call dibs on first movie!"

Weiss almost burst into relieved giggled, which made me giggle too. Really, we were just a pair of dorks with way too much on our plates. It was best to leave the thoughts of monsters and beasts on the backburner for now.

Instead, I got to spend time with my very best friend, who I really could count on to cheer me up, even when she was so plainly hurting just staying awake. Everyone deserved a friend like that if you asked me.

…Though… deep in my heart, to the point I barely noticed it at the time…

I… really wished those bright blue eyes would look at me alone…

Someday.

 _Ch. End_

 **Ok, here we are with the chapter!**

 **I do hope it's enjoyable, especially since I realized we needed to get some plot moving with the human enemies, and we see more of the Beasts! It really is interesting writing such a diverse group of distinct creatures, but that's the fun part!**

 **Next chapter's going to focus on Yang and Blake as their time spent waiting for the other half of the team to recover will still be busy. The investigation has to start at some point, so may as well get in some leg-work.**

 **The only question is if Yang can actually focus on the investigation rather than stare at Blake's legs.**

 **…** **Can I just say it is an absolute treat writing these characters as so very interested, yet utterly unable to see it? I now understand the glee of writer's using the usual 'dense protagonist' trope, though not to the point this lot are brick heads.**

 **That's all I have! Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!**


	12. Even More Happens in Town

**Alright, been long enough, let's get back to the show!**

 **Yang and Blake, it's time to show those investigative chops! Also, let's see what trouble a lower end monster can get up to!**

 **Probably not going to have any of the big guys show up here, but who knows? After this, we'll likely head to Mount Glen and the Vytal Festival before the first act comes to an end. At that point… we have fun** **.**

 **Let's get to it!**

 _Even More Happens in Town_

While Ruby and Weiss were having a grand ol' time in the infirmary, the rest of Team JMPR got to work. Well, the BY part of Team RWBY did as JNPR had to decide who would handle coordination vs. leg work.

Surprise-surprise, the brawler and her partner got assigned to legwork. Yang had a way of charming people into giving up information willingly most of the time while her fists convinced the rest and Blake had prior experience in information gathering that far outstripped her fellows.

"Remind me again why Ren's not with us?" Yang asked only a short while after they'd started tracking leads, Blake riding behind her partner as Bumblebee carried them through the city. "He's a freaking ninja and we may need him."

Blake sighed, barely hearing her partner over the wind. "He's keeping an eye on the chatter in the city, without permission may I remind. He'll have to be quiet as is to make sure no one knows he's in the main comm center. Besides, I'm a far more experienced infiltrator."

Yang looked back with a smirk, though it was hidden by her helmet. "Ah, come on, don't be jealous. Just thinking I may need someone else to sneak in if you're busy somewhere."

Blake rolled her eyes, but didn't respond as a car rolled by with its horn roaring. Yang had almost wandered into opposing traffic when she'd looked back. Once they were stable, she gave her answer. "First, watch the road. Second, this is a preliminary investigation into both the White Fang activity and any leads on what the Beasts are doing. We're not out here for a Sunday drive."

Yang shook her head, blonde mane fanning out behind her and tickling Blake's skin. "I know that, just trying to lighten the mood. You've been way too somber ever since we woke up this morning, didn't even lighten up all that much when we caught Weiss starting to figure out she has a crush."

Blake leaned back to look at the sky, wondering at that statement. "Just… lost in thought I guess. I always thought getting out of the Fang would give me some measure of peace, even after everything I've seen them do, but some part of me still doesn't want to believe they'd be here and conspiring with dirtbags like Torchwick."

Yang hummed in answer. No one had heard why Blake had left the Fang in the first place beyond her vague answer of no longer agreeing with their methods. While that was certainly a valid reason, Yang had gotten to know her partner well enough to figure out that wasn't the main reason. Probably wouldn't get it out of her today, but Yang could hope.

Her maternal side didn't like having secrets kept by those she cared for, even if her rational side knew that people deserved their secrets.

Regardless, the rest of the drive was a peaceful affair. As they pulled up beside a familiar club, its lights off with the sun high in the sky, Blake gave her partner a side eye. "You're sure this guy will know something?"

Yang swung off Bumblebee and stretched. "Of course! Junior here always keeps his ear to the ground and has all kinds run through his bar. I had to convince him it was worthwhile to be on my good side, but I kept property damage as low as I could."

Blake sighed and remained where she was. "So, you almost turned the place to rubble. Just pull what you can out of the guy and get back quick, we have too many leads to stay long."

Yang glanced back at Blake with a frown. "Hey, you ok? It's not just being somber at this point, you're being really sour."

Blake looked away, only deepening Yang's concern. "It's not much, just wanting to get this mystery sorted out. I'd be a lot more concentrated if I didn't have Dust thefts and the Fang sitting over my head."

Yang didn't completely believe that, but she knew time was wasting. With a grin and a wave, she strode through the doors of the club and disappeared. Blake, after waiting a minute, looked to a side alley. "You can come out now."

Another head of blonde hair flipped out of the shadows and sauntered up to Blake, an easy grin on his face. "Hey, glad you could make it. Fancy getting a club as the spot, but there's no life this time of day."

Blake rolled her eyes at him. "Doesn't matter, did you find what I asked? I know there's bound to be at least one White Fang rally in the city."

Sun winked and held up a familiar flyer. "You bet there is! I don't know why you want to sneak in to this thing, but I can't say no when someone asks for help. So, we heading out?"

Blake pursed her lips before shaking her head and summoning a clone enhanced with her beast's power. "Hold on a second, need to clean up the scum so they don't make off with my partner's bike. I don't want to be responsible for all that damage."

Sun watched as the clone blurred out of existence, only for shouts and thuds to fill the air for several seconds before the clone reappeared with a pile of thugs and delinquents at its feet. "Wow… you really are a Founder."

Blake glared at him with enough heat to make Sun backpedal. "Sorry-sorry, I know I shouldn't call you that. It's just… you hear the stories and all, hard to believe any of it's true."

Blake dispelled her clone and pulled out a notepad. After scribbling a quick message and sticking it to Bumblebee, she started tying up the unconscious would be thieves. "First, help me out here. Second, that power is a big reason I left, but that doesn't mean I can't still believe there are some good people left in the Fang. It's why I need to see if the rallies have changed, and to confirm the rumors they're working with the local master criminal."

Sun hopped over and started tying up the scum too, a frown on his lips. "I… guess that makes sense. I hear the current leader's a real nut though, and it won't be good if someone recognizes you."

Blake froze just long enough for Sun to notice, but she played it off as best she could. "Yeah, well… I still want to believe the Fang stands for something until I can see it for myself."

She finished tying the last knot. "Come on, we need to get going. Knowing Yang, things will get hectic within the next few minutes and we need to be scarce by then."

Sun shook his head and ran after Blake, the girl already halfway to the rooftops. He didn't understand why she wanted to leave her partner out of this, especially when he'd seen the two get along famously back at Beacon. Really, it just reeked of secrets.

Then again, Blake liked to keep her secrets. Sharing her nature with Sun only happened because he'd seen the Beasts first hand, and even then, she swore him to secrecy.

Deciding it best not to dwell on the mysterious girl that was running ahead of him, Sun put his focus into catching up with her and keeping pace. They had a terrorist cell to infiltrate after all, and it would be a poor story to have it end just because he couldn't keep up.

Not to mention the teasing he'd have to endure.

 _-Yang-_

"Well, that was a waste of time."

Yang groaned as she left the club, Junior staring after her in fear. She'd only had to smack around a few of the new guys before she got Junior to spill, but what he had wasn't much. All he knew was that Torchwick was getting paid big bucks to go after all the Dust in town, but by who and for what reason, he didn't know.

Yang knew from long years of helping raise Ruby and looking after both her Dad and Uncle when people were lying. Junior had none of that showing when he'd spilled his guts, so she took a swig of the juice she'd 'confiscated' and left.

Once she was out, she started calling to Blake. "Well, that was a dead end. Not much to… Blake?"

Yang blinked a couple times and rubbed her eyes. Nope, Blake wasn't there. Instead, there was a pile of wannabe thugs KO'd next to Bumblebee and what she thought was a note slapped on it.

Groaning, Yang jogged over and took the note. "Alright… 'Yang, I'm sorry for vanishing into the blue without telling you, but I received word one of the big leads would disappear if I didn't head there immediately. I'm very sorry for not telling you, but we can't miss this chance. I promise I'll make it up to you.'"

Yang grunted and crumpled the note. "Yeah right, bone head. Sun gave me his number too, and I've gotten plenty of voicemails from him thinking he called you."

She opened her scroll and dialed Pyrrha. Not even two rings went by before Pyrrha answered. "Yang, what's up?"

"Blake bolted with Sun like we suspected." Yang sighed, Pyrrha reciprocating. "I need you and Jaune to go check out the water distribution centers, see if they've noticed anything weird from the rivers and sea. In the meantime, have Nora meet me at the CCT tower. Weiss gave me the access code for the Dust supplies shipped here, so we'll give those a once over."

"You do that." Pyrrha said, not sounding too sure. "Um… are you going to be ok with it though? It's going to be a lot of numbers, and math's not your strong suit, to say nothing of Nora."

Yang smirked and mounted Bumblebee. "Don't worry, I got Nora to swear on focusing if this happened. All it took was promising I'd help her get some Ren pancakes and she was on board."

Pyrrha groaned over the scroll, Yang sending the call to the speaker in her helmet. "Yang, we've been trying to tone that down ever since our first night in the dorm. Don't go and ruin months of work over this."

"Do you want to volunteer?" Yang asked as Bumblebee roared to life. "I'll take either, your choice."

She could feel the stink eye Pyrrha was giving her through the scroll. "…Very well, she'll meet you at the CCT tower before long. Jaune, Nora, we're going on a field trip!"

The last part was shouted at the other members of her team who weren't busy trawling through the local databanks. Yang gave her thanks before ending the call and steaking out into the city, eyes casting about in disappointment.

While the crass part of her was sad she'd lost the feeling of Blake pressing against her as they rode and the possibility of watching those long legs in action, the rest was saddened that Blake still didn't trust her. They'd been partners for months and fought many deadly enemies, Grimm and Beast alike, so why couldn't Blake just… talk to her?

Everyone else did, even if Weiss needed a bit of prodding. It didn't even have to be some big, world-shattering secret. Just being left out of the plan was… hurtful.

Yang shook her head and flew up the on-ramp, cars honking as she raced toward the CCT tower. No matter the issues with Blake, there was a job to do, and by heaven she'd do it.

 _-Sewer-_

" **This is a foul place, are we sure this leads to the tower?"**

A duo of finned lizards stalked through the sewers of Vale, rats and other critters scurrying away as they splashed through the fetid water. While the lead lizard's wide head was lowered to the water and following a scent, its partner was glancing around with unabashed disgust.

" **We are searching for an entrance to that tower."** The lead lizard, a Cephalos, hissed. **"This was the closest lead I found in the last sojourn, but we will soon pass into the unknown. Keep your eyes peeled, the scent continues."**

The second lizard, another Cephalos, snarled but remained silent. After a time, they came upon a fork in the tunnel, writing painting the unnatural walls.

"… **I cannot read these symbols."** The lead Cephalos growled. **"We will have to explore independently. Take the left, I will take the right."**

Its compatriot growled but complied. Really, it would be so much easier to get around if the humans used symbols that made sense rather than that mess of straight lines and scribbles.

The lead put its snout back to the water and started down the tunnel, what felt like ages passing before it sensed vibrations in the walls. Looking around, it found a door through which the vibrations were strongest. Based on the way its skull was shaking, a large body of beings was above this location and making a lot of noise.

It tilted its head in thought before smashing the door in and scrambling up the stairs. May as well see what all the commotion was about, it could be important.

It entered another series of stairs that emptied into a network of walkways suspended in the air by metal beams, the Cephalos having to tread carefully so it wouldn't scrape its claws on the metal and reveal its position.

It had good reason to be sneaky, as a mass of chattering humans were in the cavernous room below. Oddly, they had features like the lesser animals of the wild, such as ears and tails. Even then, they still smelled human, and that was reason enough to avoid them.

Even more so since the white masks they wore resembled the Enemy enough to make its blood boil.

Regardless it settled in to wait. If there was any luck on its side, there'd be something interesting in here…

A new scent met its nose and it almost cackled.

One of the children was here, the one that smelled of Nargacuga. This suddenly became much more interesting, and much more… valuable.

A merry chase was in order… after it figured out what the hell was going on down there. More unknowns on top of what they already had would be less than welcome.

So, it followed the scent through the scaffolds until it was right over the scent, but out of sight. Tracking the scent, its gaze fell on a head of black fur next to another with bright yellow fur on their head. The pair were silent, but it was clear to anyone paying attention they were looking around.

The room burst into mutters as someone walked onto the stage. The Cephalos didn't know what the human was talking about, but a cover was thrown off and it hissed at the metal men that lay underneath.

 _The Remobra were correct. The humans have certainly advanced if they can make metal golems en masse now, yet… I have a feeling these creations are only effective in numbers greater than what I see here. That monstrosity though…_

It stared at the giant of metal that stood behind the still talking human. It was large, easily as large as a Barrioth, with fists and legs that could crush anything. The Cephalos had a feeling that thing would be… an issue.

A commotion began below, the Nargacuga child making a gesture before the lights in the room went out. The other humans fell into confusion, but the Cephalos swiftly adjusted to the lack of light and followed the movements of the Nargacuga child. A companion followed her before that… titan, it supposed, bust down the wall and gave chase.

…Well then, the chase was on, just a lot sooner than the Cephalos thought it would be.

And without it being the target.

Joy.

 _-Yang-_

"Nora, remind me to use Ren as an incentive the next time we have to do math."

Nora just giggled and skipped along, blissfully ignoring Yang's incredulous stare. "I'll do anything I can if it gets me pancakes, especially Ren's. You and I both know he has the magic touch with those things."

Yang shook her head in sheer disbelief. Nora had, with Ren's pancakes as a reward, somehow calculated the exact amount of Dust shipped to Vale over the past year, the deficits and ghost numbers therein, along with the routes and delivery destinations after singlehandedly talking down the Schnee Company representative that attempted to block them despite using Weiss's codes.

It was truly scary, and now Yang had the other reason why Nora was given pancakes the morning after they'd been given real tough homework.

"Anyway, at least we have proof of someone hitting the Dust shipments." Yang sighed, pocketing the drive holding their info. "I'll put in a call to Jaune and Pyrrha, and you can let Ren know he's good for today. After that, we'll track down Blake and Sun."

Nora paused mid skip and blurred over to Yang with a frown. "You're not going to give her a 'Talk' are you? It really could've just been a lead."

Yang almost smiled at Nora's question. "No, I'll give her a regular talk. She shouldn't just run off like that, especially if it was after the White Fang like we all suspect. Sheesh, and after we ran into that criminal at the docks too, it wouldn't surprise me if she got recognized if they try to blend in."

Nora hummed in response. "I see… well, we'll just have to break some shins if that comes of it. Besides, she's not an idiot, if there's trouble she'll call."

Yang patted Nora's shoulder with a grin. "Yeah, you're right. Then the 'Boom Sisters' get their turn to wreck some ass."

They shared grips and sinister grins, the self-proclaimed strongest duo in the Academy getting into an impromptu arm-wrestling contest. It came to an end as Nora's scroll rang, her bubbly personality rising to the surface as she answered. "Nora Valkyrie, breaker of legs and eventual Ren family member!"

Yang could almost hear Jaune groan over the scroll, Nora having forgotten to turn off the speaker. "Dammit Nora, we talked about using that as your greeting."

"Haven't convinced me yet." Nora chirped, making Yang chuckle. "Now what's up Jauney boy, did you finally buck up and give Pyrrha her just reward beside a waterfall?"

Jaune's groan was much more pronounced this time. "Give that idea a rest, Nora!" His voice became a whisper. "Pyrrha and I are just friends right now, and I sure as hell don't feel I'm anywhere near good enough to try asking her out, damn how I feel or what anyone else thinks."

Nora gave Yang an exaggerated eye roll, as if to say, 'You see what I have to deal with?'

Yang chuckled again and gave Nora a thumb's up before Jaune cleared his throat and continued. "Anyway, we have some news. A few of the workers in the eastern distribution centers have been hearing sounds in the tunnels that used to run to Mt. Glenn. Best they can tell, it's a small pack of Beowolves, and they already put in a request for the Academy to deal with them."

Pyrrha's voice came over the scroll, her small pants showing she'd been running. "Thing is, one of the maintenance cameras spotted a big bi-pedal animal with wings and a hammerhead shark's face. We called Ruby and she found something about a Cephalos. Camera recorded it sniffing around restricted areas before stalking off."

Oh, that wasn't good.

"They're in the sewers?" Nora gasped, not ready to hear that. "No one will even think to look down there, they could get anywhere in the city… wait a minute."

She tilted her head in thought as the average door and manhole cover entered her mind. "Aren't… the big ones _too_ big to get in that way?"

Yang agreed, but there was another problem. "I'm pretty sure, yeah, but… well, they just need one entry point and they can wreck a lot of important things. Not to mention the tunnels down there that're abandoned."

Jaune grunted in agreement. "Yeah, we know. We'll be getting a report to Professor Ozpin about it when we get back, just wanted to make sure you guys were up to date."

Nora gave her thanks and hung up, Yang already making for Bumblebee. "Well… that was news."

"Yeah, and not good news either." Yang sighed as she mounted up and put on her helmet. "How the heck are they able to get into the sewers to start with? Not to mention sending in scouts to look for restricted areas."

Nora got behind Yang and they roared into the city, her thoughts barely heard over the rushing wind. "They do sound a lot more organized than what we've seen. I mean, most of the one's we've fought have been solo or small packs. This though… it sounds like something's leading them and making plans."

Yang shuddered at the very idea. She'd read that book of Ruby's too, in addition to the many story times it was used for back in her childhood. The only thing that could realistically lead any of the Beasts was either one Ozpin designated as a five-star threat, or an Elder.

The latter was far and away the worse of the two.

Nora almost spoke again before a shrill ring came from her scroll, the sudden noise nearly sending Yang into opposing traffic. Once Nora had the screaming device in hand, she gasped. "Yang, Code 001! Southbound in the Spaghetti Bowl, two miles!"

Yang knew that code by heart and Bumblebee screeched in protest as Yang threw them into a tight turn before roaring the way they came.

The code system was something Jaune and Ruby had thought up during one of the leadership conferences that Ozpin held every so often for the various team leaders. It's where they'd met Coco for the first time, and subsequently added her team to their friend group.

The codes themselves ranged from 1-100, with the level of danger and urgency going up as the number went down. They also had specific meanings, but what was most important was that a Code 1 had been issued, which meant that someone was in imminent life-threatening danger and needed immediate assistance.

The coordinates were sent out automatically after Ren pointed out they'd need to know where the scroll sending the code was, with an app that Weiss and Blake programmed automatically putting the coordinates into the GPS to provide direction.

That was how Yang knew she'd need to jump onto the bridge below them in order to make the famous Vale Spaghetti Bowl quickly. That section of the road system was a mess of different bridges and exits, making it incredibly easy to get turned around in.

Yang though, knew her roads.

"Woohoo!" Nora crowed as they ran up a boarding ramp and flew into the air, arms spread out. "What a rush!"

Yang focused on the landing, Bumblebee jolting hard as they landed on the bridge below them. The shocks did their job though, and Aura kept the riders intact as the motorcycle's engine roared and they took off again.

Ignoring the horns of startled commuters, Yang glanced back to Nora. "Distance?"

"Half a mile!" Nora informed, head on a swivel before catching sight of something. "There! Holy… is that mech?!"

Yang looked to one of the far bridges and growled. Black and yellow blurs were hopping from car to car with as much speed as they could muster, a giant mech chasing them with far more speed than it had any right to hold.

"Damn it all." Yang muttered before opening the throttle as much as she could, Nora holding on for dear life as the motorcycle blurred for another exit ramp. This time, Bumblebee flew much further, Ember Celica unfurling with a thunk before three shells added even more momentum.

"Sweet!" Nora cried, enjoying this far too much. "We get to fight a mech!"

Yang sighed as the shock hit them again, the fight coming to them this time. "Just get the hammer ready and smack that thing off the bridge. We'll deal with it at ground level."

Nora cackled, and Yang felt her change. A side-benefit of Nora's power, or 'jam' as Ruby was prone to calling it, was that she could now produce her own lightning. Admittedly she had to be careful for the same reasons the others did, namely personality changes and the now very real chance of going feral, but she'd been practicing hard.

As her arms changed to glittering scale and her eye shifted to electric green, Nora called upon the lightning within, green energy crackling around her. Perfect fuel for her semblance to feast on.

The blurs f black and yellow shot past them, Yang catching Blake's guilty eyes for a moment before they were past them on screaming towards the mech. "Nora, break it!"

Nora laughed and wound up Magnhild, her semblance and power suffusing her in a cloak of power as she stood on the seat. "Batter up you son of a calculator!"

The mech was unimpressed and tried to swat them aside, only for Yang to send Bumblebee into a slide while Nora delivered the mother of all hammer blows to its central mass.

A sonic boom filled the air as the mech was launched off the road, somehow still intact and functioning if its flailing limbs meant anything. Yang righted their skid and screeched to a stop, the riders watching as the mech reached the zenith of its flight and began to fall.

Right to the bottom of the bowl.

"Alright, let's get this guy." Yang growled before jumping off the road, Nora right behind her. Aura proved itself invaluable again as they landed, not even a smidgen of pain coming from their legs as they squared off with the recovering mech.

"Yang!" Someone called, a blur materializing into Blake. "That's the guy who's been attacking the Dust shipments, he's working with the White Fang!"

"I resent that fact!" A voice yelled, the source putting it as from the mech. "I don't like working with a bunch of terrorists girlies, but I'm getting paid to do it, so here we are. Now then, could you please just let me squash you? This has been a long enough day without having the rally interrupted and I'm not looking forward to getting yelled at!"

The girls stared at the mech as it righted itself, surprised by the driver's words. Yang gave voice to their disbelief. "Uh… you know the basic want to survive kind of prevents that, right?"

They could hear the sigh over the speakers. "I know, but I'm frustrated enough to ask, which should tell you everything about my employers. Now then, may as well test out the hardware. It's already passed the stress test with that blow, so let's see how the weapons do."

That statement was followed by a barrage of rockets and machine-gun fire, the girls evading the onslaught with all possible grace. There were three things firing independently though, and that didn't make attacking the thing easy.

"Alright, it's keeping you at bay." The rider noted, the sound of a pencil scratching paper coming over the speakers. "And all from that AI Neo and the witch put together. If nothing else, gotta give 'em computers."

Yang sent several rounds at the mech, which barely staggered it. "You're taking notes?! While trying to kill us?!"

"Well, this is mostly Atlesian engineering at work." Torchwick said casually as he watched Blake flip away from a stream of bullets. "The accuracy and reaction speed could use some work though."

Nora proved it by getting close enough to land a denting blow on the mech's arm, rendering the gun useless.

"I love that you're so casual about this!" Blake shouted in frustration as she sent her whip out to swing from a road support. The bullets followed, but she got close enough to slice off the barrel of the other gun. While Torchwick was distracted writing that down, Yang activated her 'jam' and rushed forward, slime coating the last turret and one of the arms as she wailed on the mech.

"What… is that shit?" Torchwick asked as he looked at the slime coating his ride and the blonde girl's fists. "Is this… snot? That's disgusting, girlie."

Yang scowled at him and leapt away, slit eye narrowed. "Shut up and blow up, you ponce."

Torchwick glared through the screen at her before his eyes widened, the slime changing to a violent orange-yellow. "Sh-!"

His curse was cut off as the slime exploded, the force taking off an arm and weakening the already abused chassis. Once the smoke cleared, the mech was still standing, but Torchwick was visible now with an emergency shield covering him. "Hot… damn… what the hell… was that?"

He had the wherewithal, and sheer gumption, to start making notes. "Mech… can't take… more than a supercharged hammer blow… and explosive slime… before chassis fails. Shield… works but, not shocks. Work… on that. Still functional though… just a lot slower…"

Yang and Blake had enough, the pair striding forth to apprehend him.

Only for the remaining fist to shoot out and send Yang flying through three separate road supports, the concrete crumbling atop her. Blake had barely a moment to gawk before a new fighter entered the scene, a young woman in a formal top and pants with pink and brown hair.

Even her eyes were the same, as Blake could see them dancing with patronizing glee as she held an umbrella before her. Sensing the quarry was about to escape with what was his obvious accomplice, Nora and Blake roared forward to try and stop them.

Only for their very images to shatter like glass, the mech and Torchwick disappearing along with the girl.

Blake scowled and growled before remembering another important detail. "Yang!"

She turned and ran for the pile of concrete, ignoring the sounds of police sirens that started to appear before them along with the arrival of Jaune and Pyrrha, ready for combat. "Yang, are you ok?!"

The rubble shifted and Yang staggered out of the mess, a little bruised and bloodied, but otherwise ok. "Yeah… just took a good smack to my chest is all. Looks like I'll be seeing Dr. Nadya for another contusion."

Blake had a helpless smile rise on her lips before she walked up and embraced Yang. "I'm… I'm sorry, for leaving like that. I know I shouldn't have, but…"

Yang returned the hug gently, deciding to leave the scolding for another time. "Hey, it's alright. Well, not really, but I understand why you did it. Just, let us know next time alright? We'd prefer to hear it from you rather than Sun calling the wrong number and not realizing it."

Blake pulled away with a sheepish scowl. "Darn it, I knew something was up when you didn't give chase. Alright, we'll talk later, but for now, why don't we head back and swap information?"

Yang was just about to agree when she heard Jaune yelling for them. "Guys, get over here!"

Yang and Blake shared concerned glances before running over to the others, Pyrrha, Nora, and Jaune staring into the ravine next to their erstwhile battleground.

"What is it?" Blake asked as they joined their friends. "Is something… down… oh gods…"

Yang silently agreed as she stared into the ravine, the bottom filled with recent rainwater. Three heads stared out of the water, two of them Cephalos like Ruby described.

The other was a truly monstrous Beast, its sapphire scales and red spikes framing a cobra's hood that led to a crocodilian head with intelligent yellow eyes staring out of the sockets, its maw stretched into a grin that sent shivers down their spines.

Yang swore she saw electricity crackle between the teeth.

The Cephalos retreated a moment later, the great Beast continuing to stare at them before its maw moved and it… spoke.

What came out was no language Yang or the others understood, but the voice was deep and commanding, only adding to the imperious aura of the Beast. Power unlike any other cloaked it as well, everyone instinctively knowing that if it wanted to, it could kill all of them with little effort.

Eventually, it stopped speaking, and the head disappeared into the water, a shadow far larger than even a cargo bullhead marking its departure.

"…They can get in… even the big ones…"

Jaune's haunted voice broke the reverie, everyone running full tilt for Bumblebee and the auto-taxi. Ozpin needed to hear about this now, or something terrible was bound to happen.

Pyrrha though, had started recording the Beast after the idea of documenting its size popped into her head. With that in mind, she sent the recording to Ren with a single line of text.

'Translate it.'

 _-Ren-_

 _How in the heck am I supposed to translate this?_

Ren sighed as he made for the infirmary. Jaune had called after Pyrrha sent him the recording, telling him to inform Ruby and Weiss about what happened while they made all speed back to the Academy. Problem was, while Ren was very well-read, that… speech was nothing he'd ever heard.

Sighing, he walked into the infirmary only to stare.

"Come on, Weiss, kick her butt!"

"You got this Coco! Don't let the Snowflake get the better of you!"

Apparently, Team CFVY had come back from their most recent mission and paid the recovering half of RWBY a visit. As Ren watched, Ruby and Velvet cheered on their respective partners in some fighting game while Fox and Yatsuhashi sat back and watched.

Not wanting to interrupt the spirited girls, Ren went to them first. "Hey guys, how'd the mission go?"

"About as well as you expect, considering the Beowolves charged a mini-gun toting fashion freak." Fox answered with his usual snark, Yatsuhashi greeting Ren with a silent nod. "Kind of surprised to see half of RWBY in here though, it's usually all or one with you guys."

Ren sighed ruefully as Fox held out several get-well cards that had been personalized for each of Team JMPR. "Well, those two got into a bad training accident this time. We were just watching when it happened, though I'm sure they've already told you that."

Fox chuckled and put the cards on a nightstand. "Yeah, well, now it's just them doing this. We've got some down time now that the Festival's only a couple weeks out, so I hope you don't mind if Coco and Velvet want to see how you guys end up here so often."

"You're chatty today." Yatsuhashi rumbled. "But I can't blame the curiosity."

Ren wished they could tell the truth, but things were complicated enough as was. "Well, we won't mind you stopping by. Also, this match should be over in three… two… one…"

On cue, Coco KO'd Weiss with a nasty combo, Velvet cheering in glee while Ruby let out a dramatic cry of despair. All went quiet when Dr. Nadya's head appeared in her office door, but once she was gone, Coco turned to greet Ren. "Hey, Mr. Pink-Streak. Good to see someone who understands more than two colors."

Ren shook his head as Velvet waved her greetings. "And hello to you too. Come to harass our mutual friends when they should be recovering?"

"Complain about the recovery gowns too, don't forget that." Velvet laughed, Coco glaring at her in turn. "But yeah, we just wanted to check in. Had to save Ruby from watching a history documentary."

Ruby chuckled, despair forgotten. "For which I'm eternally grateful."

Weiss gave her partner a frown. "Hey, that was an interesting documentary about the First Great War, don't tell me it didn't have you interested."

"When it was talking about the weapons, not the politics." Ruby countered with a cheeky grin, making Weiss grumble a complaint. "But yeah, it's been great since everyone came to visit. Velvet and Yas even brought food!"

Ren heard 'Yas' mutter about not wanting to be called that, but ignored him. "Well, I'm sure it's been good, but we should probably clear out. Dr. Nadya's been giving us the stink eye ever since I came in."

Everyone looked to the office, Team CFVY packing up and leaving with hurried goodbyes when they caught Dr. Nadya glaring out the window at them. Ren though, stuck around, if only to give his explanation.

No one noticed Team CFVY turn the corner and huddle around Velvet, a little speaker in one hand and her scroll in the other. "Ok, are we receiving?"

Velvet nodded, Ren's voice filtering through. Now, they could hear the real deal and figure out why their friends were always hurt. It'd be a lot easier to help this way, they just wished it hadn't come down to hidden microphones.

What they heard was… hard to believe. Ren was explaining that a criminal had chased Blake through the streets after she'd infiltrated a White Fang rally with a friend from Vacuo of all places. The criminal had used an Atlesian Paladin prototype, with Yang, Blake, and Nora able to destroy the thing after Nora severely weakened it with some kind of power that fueled her semblance.

As if that wasn't enough, there was the mention of 'Beasts' and their infiltration of the water system. The Grimm couldn't do that, so what the hell were these things?

Then a recording was played, Ruby and Weiss gasping over the speaker. Not one of the erstwhile spies understood what recording was playing, but they recognized power in the voice that was speaking the guttural nonsense.

Then Ruby and Weiss sent everyone for a loop when they spoke in unison.

"I… know what it's saying."

Silence descended for a moment before the microphone exploded into static and the speaker let loose a piercing squeal, CFVY blurring away just in time to avoid Ren's appearance.

Ren in turn took one look at the speaker before crushing it underfoot, already knowing who was listening in.

Now things were even more complicated, and that was without factoring in how Ruby and Weiss understood the Beast's speech.

Or what it said.

" _ **Indeed, the power runs through your blood. Wild, untamed, and altogether lesser than the true masters. Beacons, you will be, for them… should you survive the Black Leviathan and his warriors…"**_

" _ **Soon… we shall see…"**_

 _Ch. End_

 **Again, I apologize profusely for the lack of updates, life is just not kind at times. Anyway, I do hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and will look forward to the next one!**

 **Bye everyone!**


	13. Frustration

**Alright, let's get back on the horse with this chapter!**

 **Let's go have all the fun we can, because heaven knows the world's gonna blow up at some point in this story and I plan to make it glorious.**

 **Onwards!**

 _Frustration_

Ozpin was having one of those days.

In all his many years, and there were _many_ , he'd learned that trying to get bureaucrats to do anything in an expeditious manner was simply impossible. Even with the many corpses he now had of the Beasts, thanks to the regular hunters and huntresses running into them now, the damned Council still wouldn't listen.

The worst part was the Beasts were almost entirely small-fry, easily replaced by their larger versions. If there's one thing he hated about those damned raptors it was their propensity for breeding, especially since the females rarely left the dens.

Then came the next bad news. Team JMPR had, as was their nature, taken the initiative and started their own investigations. While he was quite sure they could take care of themselves, as shown by the security video he was watching, infiltrating a White Fang rally was simply reckless.

Not to mention the collateral damage, which he ended up getting screamed at for.

That aside, he'd barely finished dealing with that before Jaune Arc sent a priority message. If the message was true, and the boy had no reason to lie, then the waterways would need to be sealed swiftly.

"Professor Ozpin?"

He looked up and closed the video, eyes finding Glynda. "Yes, Professor Goodwitch? Was the damage seen to?"

"Of course," she confirmed. "But if I may ask, what are we going to do about the Ball? Students from the other academies are still arriving and we've had several high-profile incidents occur at the same time. Rumors are spreading, and I've been asked more than once if the traditional festivities are to be… postponed."

Ozpin sighed and turned to face the windows. "We cannot do that, Glynda. Rumors are just that, but if we do anything to make it look like there's even a small grain of bedrock in them, panic is bound to set in."

"Then what about the student committee?" Glynda asked with a sigh. "I've been attempting to contact Ms. Adel and her team, but they haven't responded yet. As far as I know, no one else would be interested in helping organize the event."

Ozpin sighed and took a moment to think before it came to him. "Actually… I believe there are two teams that would gladly take the reins, assuming Team CFVY is still unavailable. I'm sure they'll be beside themselves with joy at the news."

Glynda frowned before shaking her head. "Very well, I'll inform them of the opening. I assume we'll be tacking on extra work if they don't agree?"

"Why Glynda, how else do we motivate students?" Ozpin asked sardonically, making the woman roll her eyes. "Though be sure to inform them that, while I praise the initiative, they should think out their plans a bit more just so something like this doesn't happen again."

Glynda nodded her agreement and left, Ozpin looking to the window again before noticing something in the distance. With a frown, he departed his office and made his way to the back of Beacon, where a small door with a pair of security cameras kept watch on a patch of woods that led out to an impassable gorge.

A moment later, he pulled out his scroll and typed in a series of commands that put the pair of cameras on a loop. Once that was done, he looked to the forest and took a breath. "Alright… out with it, Selan."

The trees were quiet for a moment before their tops rustled in an unnatural wind, the crackle of electricity filling the air. Then, out of the forest strode a great equine beast, its hide a rippling cyan and dark blue with a mane of pure-white hair flowing about it. The grandest part of its appearance was the electric blue horn that grew from the center of its head, the point glinting in the daylight.

Energy hung around it like a storm, the creature striding forth until it was only a dozen yards from Ozpin, each looking the other in the eye.

" **You are unsurprised by my awakening.** " A voice said, projected directly into Ozpin's mind. " **I can only assume many of my fellows have awoken as well in that case.** "

Ozpin nodded. "Indeed, many have awakened. However, it has not been those who are aware of the true threat."

" **Hm, then those who follow the majority.** " Selan's voice rumbled, its head shaking. " **Sadly, I was alone upon waking. Those who follow me and my desire to see the Witch ended above all else still lie sealed. On the other hoof, most of the Elders and our generals are also still asleep. The Mountains and Serpents especially remain deep in the stone.** "

Ozpin breathed a sigh of relief, but he had to ask. "You say most. Who amongst them awoke?"

The Beast neighed and stamped its foot. " **Ha'rok, The Lord of Hell. To'ev, the Comet. Rai'Ke, the Storm.** "

" **Ae'sor, The White Godling.** "

Ozpin almost dropped his mug. While To'ev and Rai'Ke were not the worst possible things to have awoken, the other two… this wasn't good.

" **It will take them many weeks to regain even a percent of their powers.** " Selan assured. " **Even now, I can scarce call forth a single bolt and I was amongst the first. Your fledglings have time, though I do wonder why it is you have not told them of me and mine.** "

Ozpin sighed through his nose. "Truth be told, I didn't know if you'd awakened until I saw your signal just now. That, and my so-called fledglings are not to the point they'd be able to work alongside you and yours. The lower tiers of your original forces have nearly killed two of them, and it is only our advances in medicine that have allowed them to recover fully."

Selan snorted and pawed the ground again before turning to leave. " **Very well, but be aware that Ha'rok was sealed not far from these shores. If what I've seen is true, then it is likely he and his commanders that seek to infiltrate your city.** "

" **For the sake of our collective future, I hope the fledglings will be ready soon.** "

Selan strode back into the forest, Ozpin watching him go. Once all was still again, he restored the camera feed and returned to the school.

The missions couldn't come sooner, the teams needed the experience badly. Especially if Ha'rok was truly plotting against them.

If they didn't do something to uncover the designs and true mastermind, the city could very well be drowned in blood.

 _-Ruby-_

When Ren came back to our beds, he didn't look happy. "The speaker was Velvet's. Team CFVY heard the entire conversation."

Were I Yang, a curse would've met that news. Instead, I settled for a long groan. "That's… not good. Now we'll have Coco corner us later and demand an explanation."

"All while looking like she's propositioning us." Weiss sighed, making me snort. Coco did have a bad habit of literally cornering people and blocking their escape with an arm. Darned intimidating to the victim, but it looks like she's trying to be seductive to everyone else.

Ren shook his head. "That's not the biggest issue. What are we going to tell Professor Ozpin? Or the others?"

"We'll see what we can do." I said, not wanting us to get caught up in speculation. "The others will be ok, I think, and I'm sure Professor Ozpin will be too. We just have to be calm and patient."

A cleared throat drew our gazes to the infirmary doors, our collective guts sinking at the sight of Professor Goodwitch. "What's this about you all being calm and patient? I thought such words were beyond your diction."

Weiss looked insulted, but I had a quip ready. "Only with Yang and Nora, Professor. Even I can be discreet more than once in a blue moon."

My partner clearly didn't believe me, but Goodwitch had better things to do than give us the usual lecture. "I'll hear what's happened in a moment. For now, I've come to inform you all that your teams have been chosen for a special privilege."

The mention of this 'privilege' made a smirk rise to her face. We all knew that smirk _very_ well and shuddered. There was about to be a lot of work dumped on us.

"You have been put forward to help organize the Vytal Festival Ball." Goodwitch informed us, my jaw slamming into the floor. "Based on what you're soon to tell me, Team CFVY may very well be joining you all. It's a prestigious position to hold, as the Ball is considered the cultural center of the festival for students."

I could see Weiss starting to get excited, stuff like this right up her alley.

Goodwitch's smirk grew. "Also, this isn't a mere offer that you can turn down. The Headmaster has determined that, as punishment for your entire team's reckless investigation and battle on the highway, you'll be doing this. Or, you could spend the next two weeks under Professor Port's Hyper-Dense Essay Assignment SeriesTM.

I could hear the trademark, which meant that the thing she was threatening us with actually existed. As leader of the combined Team JMPR, I couldn't let such a travesty consume us all. Besides, social aspect aside, at least a dance would be fun! "We'll do the committee."

"I'm glad you saw the light." Goodwitch said, smirk still in place. "Now, what does Team CFVY have to do with you all being patient?"

I looked to Weiss, knowing she would be better at putting the whole problem into a few words.

"We believe that Coco Adel and her team were eavesdropping on our conversation about the latest Beast sighting." Weiss supplied, rolling her eyes at me. "Ren spotted a two-way speaker and just sighted them fleeing the corridor when he went out to investigate."

Ren held out the crushed remains of the speaker. "This is one of Velvet's designs. Blake and I have been working with her on devices like this, so I'm sure its hers."

"It looks like we'll be having lessons in counter-intelligence soon then." Goodwitch noted as she took the speaker remains. "I will inform the Headmaster of this news. No doubt he'll be forced to give a brief overview of what's going on to Team CFVY, but do try and keep anything he deems secret a secret."

She looked right at me as she said that. Look, I know I'm a motor-mouth, but even I'm not _that_ bad.

…Most of the time.

…Except when I get excited.

…Or on sugar…

…

Ok, point taken. "We'll be sure to keep quiet Professor. Um, we'll have a talk with them when the rest of our teams get back."

Goodwitch sighed and turned away. "Very well, just be ready to cover your bases. Ms. Adel is especially sharp at spotting inconsistencies, so if any of you flub even once, she'll latch onto the opening and never let go."

With that, she left. While Ren went off to call his team about the new situation, I started talking to Weiss. "What are we going to do? Coco and friends are going to be difficult to convince nothing's too far out of the ordinary."

"We may as well just tell them everything." Weiss answered, making me gape at her. "They're one of the best teams in the school that aren't in their final year. Having their help in future missions would be invaluable."

I could agree with that, but it wasn't the problem. "Weiss, that's just it, they're some of the best _Grimm_ fighters in the school. They've been at this longer than us, sure, but they've never faced anything like the Beasts. Who knows what would happen if they dove in with us?"

Weiss scrunched her nose in that cute way she did when thinking. "I suppose that's the case, but I'm sure they'd be cautious. I mean, they've seen what we look like after our fights with the Beasts, so there's that."

"Glad we're considered models for what not to do." I sighed, though Weiss didn't keep the banter going. "Ok, that aside, what does a Ball committee even do?"

Weiss perked up and started explaining the many things our new job required. Decorations, running the guest book, figuring out catering, designing a theme for all the above, and a bunch of other stuff I didn't care about. She was excited at least, so it wasn't all bad.

By the time she finished giving me an overview of what the dress code would be like, the rest of our team decided to show up. They all started cackling at us, which made me realize Weiss had sat up and leaned towards me in her excitement while I just had a grin on my face.

Dammit, now Yang had more material! I swore not to let that keep happening!

The situation turned grim quickly though, much to my disappointment. Yang gave us a thorough rundown of what happened out in the city from her viewpoint, followed by Jaune and Pyrrha explaining their findings in the waterways.

Blake shared her story after that, and I couldn't help but share a look of disappointment with Yang. "Blake, I know you want to believe that the White Fang wouldn't work with people like Torchwick, but there's been nothing we've seen to back up that belief."

"I know," she mumbled. "But the more I see of this, the more it looks like a splinter group. The White Fang has done a lot of things I don't agree with, but Sienna's too deep in her ways to ever consider working with a human."

I heaved a mental groan at that. Why Blake insisted on this made no sense to me, but there wasn't much I could do. Persuasion just wasn't my strong suit, but if nothing else, Yang would probably get through to her at some point.

While I mused on that, Weiss started explaining our day. "Well, you've all been quite busy and at least we got some decent information out of it. On our end, Dr. Nadya made sure to keep us in our beds, so we were watching various shows until Team CFVY dropped by. I was then dragged into a game tournament by our dear leader's endless whining."

I pouted at her, but got a haughty smirk in return. "Well at least I didn't get my butt whooped by Coco. I know you don't play much, if ever, but that was just sad."

"For that, I'm confiscating your snacks." Weiss shot back, making me cry out in horror. "But that aside, the most important part of our day is two-fold. First, Ruby and I can understand what the Beast Pyrrha recorded is saying."

I kept going before anyone could ask questions. "Our best guess is because we went feral. Tapping into our power so much may have implanted the ability to understand their language, if not speak it."

"Our ability to roar notwithstanding, no human throat could make those noises." Jaune pointed out. "But if you two can understand what they say… maybe we can learn something?"

I wasn't so sure about that. "So, what? You want us to have a conversation with something trying to kill us?"

"Not something that dangerous." Pyrrha assured, apparently reading Jaune's train of thought. "However, were we to subdue and capture one of the Beasts then you'd be able to interrogate it."

I shared a worried look with Weiss. "Um, that doesn't sound like the best idea… I mean, what if it breaks out while we're not there? It would cause so much damage."

"I'll break all its legs first, don't worry!" Nora cheered, a spark of glee in her eye. "Yang can give a good few knocks beforehand too, just to show it who's boss!"

They bumped fists, much to my annoyance. I'd given them the 'Bash Sisters' title as a joke, but even I felt like it had run its course at this point.

…Boy I was getting really annoyed today. Usually I was all for these antics.

Maybe I was getting sick of being in this bed?

"That's all well and good." Weiss said, interrupting their schemes of broken bone. "However, we have Team CFVY to worry about. They eavesdropped on our discussion of the Beast appearance and the attack by Torchwick, so they'll want answers even if Professor Ozpin tells them to drop the issue."

"You bet your skirt I do."

I'd swear on Crescent Rose that Coco Adel strode into the infirmary with the roar of thunder around her and a whole party of howling spirits at her heels. Her eyes were still hidden behind ever-present sunglasses, but I could tell by the sight of her team cowering behind the door that there would be hell to pay.

Then glasses came down and we saw 'The Glare'.

"Who's going to explain? And it better be good before I start laying people out."

…

All eyes were on me, even Weiss abandoning me to the storm of Coco along with everyone else.

Yang was no surprise, the fashionista scared the crap out of her.

 _Ruby, stop with the cursing and get on with it, your life's at stake!_

I took a deep breath and bet my life I wouldn't screw up.

"Uh… We fight monsters."

Coco was unimpressed and I could see the others silently praying for me.

 _I'm not dead yet guys, stop planning the funeral!_

Ignoring my dramatic teammates, I tried again. "Well, we fight _different_ monsters, not Grimm. They're large, scaly, and prone to sending a bunch of students to the infirmary on a regular basis…"

Coco was still not taking the vague answers and her hand was inching towards her purse.

 _Shit! No, Ruby you promised yourself you wouldn't curse in your head! Come on girl, pull up your straps and do this!_

"Alright, look! I can't give you the answers you want unless Professor Ozpin says I can, ok?! It's not my choice or my want, but that's the truth!"

I tumbled out of the bed and rose on my knees, eyes filled with tears in the hopes it would sway her. "That's the truth, please don't kill me!"

All was silent for a moment before Coco sighed and put her glasses back on. For a brief moment, I thought my impassioned plea had swayed her and the anger was gone.

Then she pulled out a pop-gun and sent the cork straight into my poor forehead.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

Coco huffed and put the toy away. "For being a drama queen, Red. I wasn't going to kill anyone, just knock some sense into those who think keeping secrets from their friends is a good idea. Especially when said secrets involve life and death."

With that, the storm was gone, and the room could breathe. The rest of Coco's team entered, and we got everyone settled around Weiss and I's beds. We knew Dr. Nadya had heard all this before, but there was still a thorough sweep of the whole ward just to be sure.

What followed was a few hours of explanations, questions, answers, and general disbelief. Can't blame them of course, this stuff is still so weird, and we've had an entire semester to wrap our heads around it.

"You know what?" Coco began after Jaune finished up the explanation. "I don't give a damn what Ozpin or anyone else thinks about this, I'm helping you guys."

Velvet stepped in before anyone could object. "Well, only if we're available and you need us. Much as we wish it, Grimm won't die on their own, so we'll do our best to make sure they don't interfere."

"We'll want in on the training though." Fox said with a big grin. "Can't let our juniors have such a big edge on us with the tournament on the horizon."

Yas smacked him over the head. "That's not all, Fox. We got put on the committee with them."

Coco practically lit up at the reminder and I took swift advantage. "Then we can leave you guys to come up with the decorations. In fact, now that we're here and on the same page, let's dole out tasks."

I pointed to Jaune and Ren. "You two know how to cook, so catering is your assigned task. Know that I demand at least two platters of chocolate chip cookies."

The two looked at each other and shrugged, apparently ok with the job.

Deciding I was on a roll, I pointed to Blake and Pyrrha. "You guys will handle organization. Weiss, no offense, but you're too meticulous about small details to get something this big done efficiently."

Weiss looked affronted, but I knew by the way she bit her lip I was right. With that victory, Blake and Pyrrha agreed to keep everyone on track. They did as much anyway, so it didn't change their schedules.

"Yang and Nora, you are entertainment." I continued, though it was followed by a glare at their gleeful cheers. "But, keep it tempered and appropriate, I don't want a repeat of that incident in the cafeteria."

The celebrating pair were rendered lambs by the reminder. I won't go over the whole incident, but it ended with Yang and Nora wrestling an enraged Ren to the ground while Jaune endured a march of shame to the dorm, his dignity held up by nothing more than a convenient trash-can lid.

Oh, Weiss and I ended up splattered with large amounts of ketchup while we discovered Blake reacts to catnip like its laughing gas. Fancy that.

Anyway, I then slapped Weiss's back with a big grin. "We will come up with a theme and advertising for the big day."

"That's a lot of work…" Yang sighed, the tease clear. "My baby sister continues to grow faster than I ever imagined, and it makes me so proud… though we all agree she gets no cookies without work, right?"

There was immediate and unanimous support, much to my immense horror. Weiss even promised that if I was slacking off, she'd freeze my feet to the ground while everyone else ate my cookies!

That was so cruel, I knew how important the darn thing was. It's just that I get distracted easily!

And bored easily…

…This wasn't going to be a fun couple of weeks was it?

 _-Two Weeks Later, Two Days Before Ball-_

Why am I always right when it was about _bad things?!_

I mean, getting a theme down wasn't bad. It only took Weiss and I two hours to settle on 'Night of Stars' for the theme since we were all going to be stars in the tournament, if only for one round. Formal wear and such, but that was the easy part.

Advertising was a nightmare and a half though. No matter what I did or came up with, Weiss would just _not_ be happy with it until she made major alterations. Those alterations ended up making the posters and notices sound super snooty and highfalutin (another twenty for me).

Mine weren't the best either, considering I can't draw worth a darn, but at least Blake and Pyrrha agreed that my ideas were more likely to draw in the average student. That led to several very stupid arguments with Weiss over who wasn't listening to who and that I was the dolt of all dolts.

We didn't speak for two days, even when we both knew it was dumb.

The decoration side of things was at least accomplished after we gave Coco a budget. Originally she wanted some of the gaudiest things I'd ever laid eyes on and lavish fabrics to cover everything, and that was _with_ the theme. Giving her a budget that put those things out of reach at least made her have to work for it alongside her team, who are apparently talented interior decorators.

It really shouldn't have surprised me considering what Coco was like, but I've never been to their dorm before.

Catering ended up being the easiest thing to set up. With the theme decided, Jaune and Ren put in calls to the local restaurants in Vale to see if anyone would be interested in serving the Ball. Considering it was a prestigious gathering, as Weiss was always sure to remind me, they found three that covered all the bases within a few days.

Yang and Nora… were a handful. They kept trying to pull in all these big groups that were already booked despite Blake and Pyrrha trying to tell them a local DJ or orchestra would be the choice. Weiss was for the orchestra while I wanted the DJ, which set off another argument.

I don't know why, but me and her had just been testy over the whole thing. It was like we were back at the beginning again where we hated each other's guts.

I really didn't like it, but all the work on getting those posters and invitations made in addition to the regular workload never gave me the time to try and figure out what was going on. Either with myself or her.

Thankfully, we had the posters finished and printed two days before the Ball, the first batch of which I was running around the school posting.

My semblance was a big help, especially since we'd been smart enough to make the posters on adhesive paper. All I had to do was slap the thing on a wall and it stuck, though I made sure they were straight if only to avoid having to do it again.

It became almost an after-thought after the first dozen though. My mind was more concerned with the idea of having a date for the thing.

 _Yang has to run the table as punishment for trying to sneak into Port's class and take his Grimm, so she couldn't ask Blake. Why she thought setting up a gladiator arena was a good idea is still beyond me. Blake is going with Sun, though I think I heard her mention saving a dance for Yang. Wonder what they talked about last week?_

The pair wouldn't say, though I hadn't had the time to ask. Ren and Nora were obviously going, but much to my shock and frustration, Jaune hadn't asked Pyrrha. Some crap about her getting swamped with guys and not having a chance.

I knew better of course. Before we came along, poor Pyrrha was isolated by her celebrity status, and still stood on a pedestal in the eyes of the student body at large. It was super frustrating for her that Jaune was acting like them again, despite the two being friends for months now.

I knew this because she came over to complain and drown her frustrations in orange juice alongside yours truly.

Anyway, I tried to make Jaune see the error of his mindset, but he was adamant. At the very least, knowing him, we'd be seeing him in a dress at the dance. He'd swore to wear one if Pyrrha didn't have a date for it, and she sure didn't have one last I checked.

Thing is… Weiss did have a date. Neptune, of all people, and I was kind of surprised. Well, he was surprisingly smooth when he wasn't putting his foot in his mouth, but he just didn't seem like the type someone like Weiss would want as her date.

Couldn't dance either, I walked in on him confessing as much to Jaune and Ren before asking them if they could teach him.

 _Why are you so hung up on dates? Coco's taking Velvet, to no one's surprise, while Fox and Yas have dates too, but that has nothing to do with you. Last I checked, the idea of dates and relationships and all that junk weren't in the least bit interesting._

It still frustrated me. I mean, I even went dress shopping with Yang last week and went with something I liked with the express expectation that I would not be dancing. Still had to be forced into the heels, which I can't even walk in.

Off topic, sorry. Believe it or not, I was going to ask Weiss to the dance as something of a peace treaty. While we were back to talking, the stress of getting this set up and something else I couldn't name were making us cross. I'd even heard her call me a buffoon right as I left to put up these posters.

 _What is her problem?_ I thought after slapping the last poster by the cafeteria doors. _Sure, I could've been a little less blunt in my ideas, but she didn't have to laugh at my first few ideas. Maybe then I wouldn't have made fun of her ideas either, no matter how ridiculously snooty they sounded._

I sighed and wandered out to one of the courtyards. I just couldn't stop thinking about why Weiss and I had gone south in our relationship so darn fast. Before this Ball became a thing, we were having fun and laughing together, all while making heartfelt declarations of support!

"Ruby? What are you doing here, I thought you'd be back by now?"

I paused my musings and looked over to find Pyrrha, gear tucked away in her work-out bag. "Oh, hey. Did your period let out already?"

"It did, fought one of the Mistral students." Pyrrha said as she walked over to me. "He was holding back, same as me. No one wants to show their hand too soon."

Can't blame them. "Well, as for why I'm here, I just finished putting up the first batch. Personally, I don't think we need any more than that, but Yang has insisted we throw up at least one more."

Pyrrha looked over to the last one I posted and nodded. "At least it was the one with the timetable. It'll cut down on most of the last-minute questions, so I agree with you. Want me to put in a call to Blake or…?"

I shook my head at the offer. "It's fine. Besides, she's in class right now, Weiss and I are running this part since it's our last job."

Pyrrha frowned and looked around. Then she started the conversation I did not want to have. "Ruby, are you sure you don't want to talk about Weiss? You've been testy with her over the Ball, but it's been a lot worse since she told us she'd be going with Neptune."

I pouted and looked away. "She's just been prissy is all. I have no doubt we'll be back to normal after this whole mess is done with and I don't have to wear heels. Heck, how do you and Weiss fight in those things? I can barely walk."

Pyrrha chuckled. "It's practice, nothing more. Back on topic, this isn't just a spat if you ask me. You've been too vehement in your arguments, too much belief if I may be so bold. I've heard insults from you both over minor differences in the poster designs that at the beginning of this year would've stared a fight."

I cringed, knowing that was true. "There's no real spite behind it, Pyrrha, we apologize and move on."

"Yang and Blake paint a different picture." Pyrrha countered, her semblance holding me in place. The problem with wearing steel-toed boots. "Your apologies have been half-hearted at best and the room's been tense. I've seen it at our meetings and in training too, you're not working with her like usual."

I really wanted to leave but getting out of my boots would take too long. Pyrrha would just pin me and keep talking. "We're just having a rough patch, ok? We were going good for a while, but now we're just… a little distant. We'll figure out when this is over, ok?"

"You're jealous." Pyrrha stated without preamble (and twenty more for me). "The first week, sure, but you two became outright nasty after Weiss told us about Neptune. You're jealous she went to ask him, not you."

I looked right at her with what I hoped was a stoic face. "I'm _not_ jealous. The very idea is just so… melodramatic, and I don't have a dramatic bone in my body!"

That was an abject lie and we both knew it.

"Ruby, it's not the end of the world." Pyrrha tried, taking on her role of 'Team Mom'. "If it's a spat like you say, then it'll blow over the moment you two sit down and talk out your differences. Or duel them out if you need to."

She kept going before I could latch onto that escape. "But, if you are jealous, then use the dance to confirm where that jealousy comes from. Trust me, I know jealousy better than most, and finding the source can help so much. Besides, Weiss is your partner."

"She wouldn't wreck the relationship you have over something like this, not when you've both gone feral for the other."

That… was true. Admittedly, when I went feral it was to save both our lives and was entirely unintentional. Weiss though… if I could infer anything from what she said after she calmed down from eviscerating the Najarala, it was she wanted me to be ok.

"I'll… give it some thought, Pyrrha. Thanks."

Pyrrha smiled and patted my shoulder. "Anytime, Ruby. You listened to me moan and groan over the past two weeks, it's only right I return the favor."

I couldn't help but giggle as we started back for the halls. "I'm glad we've reached the point we can mutually complain. Our partners are real handfuls."

"In more ways than one." Pyrrha agreed with a long-suffering sigh. "What do I need to do, Ruby? His self-confidence just comes and goes so much."

Well, considering our dear blonde boy got in on forged papers, that was bound to happen. Admittedly only Pyrrha and I knew that bit about Jaune, but it certainly explained why he was so green despite entering a Hunter's Academy.

"Maybe you should just flash him" I supplied, making Pyrrha flush. "You know, walk in there while he's showering, pretend you got the times mixed up-"

Pyrrha slapped a hand over my mouth. "Stop it, this isn't like Blake's novels. If I tried that, he'd hit a high C and run out of the bathroom before I could say 'surprise!'"

The image that conjured was enough to send me into a fit of giggles. "Oh, come on, Nora does it all the darn time to Ren! You're not the only who calls to complain to me."

"You're too deep in your cookies to actually respond, so it works." Pyrrha groaned, not wanting to hear that. "And she does that after training, not the dorm. Why do you think we go first unless Goodwitch works us to the bone that day?"

Oh, that's right, forgot about that. "Touché, my good friend. Anyway, I need to get back to Weiss before she starts hunting for me. Don't want her throwing a hissy fit over this."

Pyrrha shook her head and bid me goodbye. I did too before feeling her semblance fade and I zoomed away, petals marking my way per usual. As I ran back to the print-room, I gave myself a small pep-talk.

 _Alright Ruby, you got this! Just go in and ask Weiss if she wants to have a chat over lunch, that should work. If not, just annoy her into caving when we're back at the dorm. It hasn't failed you yet!_

 _-Night-_

There was a first time for everything. Including failing to get Weiss to sit down and talk out our differences, no matter how I whined or begged. In fact, as we sat around the kitchen table, Weiss wouldn't even look at me.

"So, at least all the posters are up." Blake tried to start, annoyed by the tense silence. "All we need to worry about now is that no one gets any bright ideas about the decorations."

Yang shrugged, attention on her scroll where she was trying to beat my high-score. "I already warned off the obvious culprits. Sun at least wants to keep things running smoothly since we're in charge, but I had to crack Sky and Cardin's heads to get the point across."

I sighed and leaned back, not even my nightly snack able to raise my mood. "It's the students from the other academies we should be worried about then. They may be the best from their respective countries, but that doesn't mean there aren't ding-dongs."

Weiss glanced at me, no doubt with a snide remark on her tongue, but I wasn't willing to hear it after getting ignored most of the day. "I'm tired, so I'll take first shower. Yang, remember your promise for tomorrow or so help me I won't style your hair."

My sister almost fell out of her chair in shock. "No, Ruby, you can't do that! There's no way I could find a hairdresser in time for the dance if you don't do my hair!"

"Then remember your promise." I reminded, our partners looking at us suspiciously. "Now, I need a hot shower."

I left to do just that, though not before seeing Blake look at Weiss with a hard glare. Don't know what that was about, but I was out of the room and under a relaxing stream of steaming water before I could find out.

While showers were normally my 'forget the world' time, I couldn't help but notice a scar on my side. It was the lone memento of the Qurupeco we fought all those months ago, when its talons had nearly disemboweled me. My aura hadn't been strong enough at the time to heal it completely, even with Dr. Nadya's help, so now I had the line of discoloration as a permanent reminder.

"Ruby?"

I jumped with what I assure you was not a squeal and turned to see Weiss's ponytail just inside the door, her back to the bathroom. "…What did I do this time? Blake and Pyrrha don't have anything left for us to do and Professor Ozpin told us we've done better than the last two committees put together."

I had to shout over the water, but Weiss heard me all the same. "I know, I saw the message. I simply wished to inform you I will be going to the Ball separately. Neptune wishes to speak with me prior to the opening ceremonies."

Oh, that was it? "Ok… don't see why you'd want to tell me. No, wait, Blake put you up to this didn't she?"

I couldn't see it, but Weiss clenched her hands. I could hear the tension in her voice though. "Not… quite. She simply reminded me that I'd yet to tell you of my plans, that's all there is to it."

"I thought I was a nuisance to your every plan?" I shot back, poking at a particularly heated moment from last week. "Besides, I thought you'd go separately anyway. Everyone else is."

Weiss's growl was loud even with the running water. "Stop acting like I stole your cookies. It's not my fault I've had entire classes dedicate to advertising while this was your first time."

"And it's not my fault you're too stuck in formality." I retaliated, grabbing my shampoo while I was at it. "Yes, it's a Ball, capital letter and everything. But, few if any of the students are high-society, so they won't listen to something using that kind of language. I thought Oobleck covered that as one of the reasons Vacuo almost went to war with Haven a hundred years ago."

I could almost hear her teeth grinding. "It is as much experience as anything, and don't pretend you knew anything about exposure. You just wanted to plaster the notices on every stone in the school."

I snorted and washed the suds out of my hair. This was getting us nowhere and I didn't want another fight to start while I was easily freezable. "Look, whatever. You do your thing for the dance and I'll do mine. Then we can get back to business as usual."

"That's it?" Weiss called at me. "We just… go back to normal? Like nothing happened?"

I sighed and turned off the water, my hope for relaxation ruined. "That's what this is all about right? The Ball's been nothing but stress on top of everything else, it's a big reason I've been so short with you. Once this is done, well, I'll think of something to apologize."

"Oh," Weiss said in a small voice. "I… suppose the stress has made me quite short as well. We've been acting like children all over again with this over our heads."

I was glad to have her agree for once. "Exactly, so just enjoy the dance with Neptune. Jaune's probably going to end up in a dress and Coco's going to steal the show with whatever she shows up in, so don't mind me. I'll be doing my best to keep Yang from running off."

I didn't get a response, so I finished up my routine and changed before climbing into my bed. Weiss had obviously left, but I wasn't willing to seek her out at this point. The exhaustion from two weeks of never-ending work was finally catching up to me and I couldn't keep my eyes open.

When I did, it was to a whispered conversation happening below me, the moon shining into the room.

"You didn't apologize? Dammit Weiss, this was the best chance you had!"

That was Yang. What did this have to do with apologies?

"I couldn't! That dolt started talking about things going back to normal even after we've been nothing but scathing for two weeks, how could I even start?"

That was Weiss… she wanted to apologize? Big thing for her, she tended to stand by her opinions even after we'd gotten her to mellow somewhat in our time here. Only time she'd honestly apologized was when she figured out we were message pals.

"There's still a chance for you to fix this Weiss. Ruby may think the matter's settled and done the moment the Ball's over, but we all know she bottles things up."

Blake, how could you?! I told you that about Yang in confidence, you weren't supposed to have intuition strike and figure me out too!

"Ok-ok, I know already. Just, let me figure out what to do, I'll have it done before the dance is over."

I heard Yang and Blake mutter something before watching them go back to bed. All was quiet after that, but I was wide-awake. That conversation had actually happened, as a pinch had confirmed, but I didn't know what to do with it.

Why did my life have to be a soap-opera when it wasn't semi-normal?

 _-Dance Night-_

I still didn't know what to do with it the day of the dance. Yang had kept her promise to me and smuggled Crescent Rose into a side room, so I could get away from the dance after mingling for a while, so I helped her with her hair.

Really, that's what the previous day and most of today had been, getting ready. Yang was in a pretty white number and matching heels that had made passerby stop dead in their tracks when she'd first tried it on. Blake was going in a purple dress with a short slit in the skirt and black mesh over the top and various black swirls in the fabric and black pumps.

I swear Yang drooled when Blake first walked out in it.

Weiss was going in a pure white dress with cutouts on her waist, showing off the results of her diligent training. She had some mesh over her shoulders as well along with white pumps, though Yang teased it was so she could compensate for her short stature.

Finally, I was going in a sleeveless dress with the top split and crossed with lace while the skirt fell around my normal knees. I still haven't let Yang live that down, so you know. I also had on stockings and pumps of my own, but I couldn't walk well in them.

Team JNPR had the boys in suits while Nora walked out in pink dress with white skirt that looked like a heart. I had to wonder if Ren picked up on the symbolism, but who knew with him. Pyrrha was in a long sleeveless red dress with a short slit for movement. She even kept her circlet and earrings.

I hadn't seen Coco yet, but Yas and Fox had shown up shortly after the doors opened with their dates, two of the girls from Team NDGO. I'd only met them briefly when Sun brought them by with his team, the two teams having met soon after their mutual arrivals.

That's how I spent most of my time, helping Yang with the guest book and directing people to the various tables around the refurbished cafeteria. If nothing else, I had to congratulate Yas and Fox on their work with the decorations, the whole place was lovely.

Coco and Velvet showed up shortly before Ozpin was due to give his opening spiel and boy did they draw a crowd. Coco was in a white mermaid-tail dress that practically shimmered in the light with a string of pearls around her throat. She'd even foregone the sunglasses and beret in favor of wavy locks and silver earrings.

"Wow, Coco." Yang drawled as she walked up, Velvet hiding behind her in a far more modest dress that went from red at the top to yellow at the bottom like a sunset. "Try not to blind the room."

Coco flashed her famous designer smile. "It's the night to look your best, but Velv here convinced me to go with one of my more understated ensembles. Believe me, I had a real show picked out before hand."

"I have no doubt." Yang laughed before showing them the guest book. "Just sign and leave your time, then you can have fun. I heard Ozpin's speech is supposed to be short and Nora told me the DJ's almost done setting up."

Coco nodded and signed for them both. While she did that, I had a quick chat with Velvet. "Tell me, how hard was it to get into the back rooms like we mentioned?"

"Not terrible, but Professor Oobleck is a real hawk." Velvet answered. "Seeing those skeletons though… that's a real shock. I didn't think anything that wasn't a Grimm could get so large."

I nodded in sympathy. "Try fighting one when you don't know what it is. We're lucky they've been quiet recently, but I still feel like there's more going on."

"Now's not the time to think on it, Red." Coco interjected as she reclaimed her date. "Especially since we're all going on missions tomorrow. Have fun, enjoy the food, and dance if you feel like it."

She winked at me and swept Velvet into the party. While I appreciated the vote of confidence, I was probably just going to slink out of here after seeing Jaune figure out he had to keep his word. That would make the night worth it if nothing else.

"Yo, Neptune! Where's Snowflake?"

I looked from Coco's wake to find Neptune standing there with an awkward smile, alone. "Well… about that. I confessed about being a terrible dancer, but I put my foot in my mouth again and she stalked off. Think I saw her by one of the balconies as I shuffled my way here in shame."

That was news to me, and I couldn't help but start scanning the second-floor. Yang noticed, being the hopeless romantic she was, and took her shot. "Well, if you want to avoid facing your team for a little longer, mind taking over the podium? I have a dance reserved for tonight and Ruby here is probably the best person to go find Snowflake and drag her back."

I did not appreciate getting volunteered for that duty as my glare showed, but Yang just gave me her winning smile that could convince anyone and I was jelly. "Alright, just let me grab something and I'll go see if I can find her. Make sure you don't bruise Blake's foot alright?"

Yang flashed me a grin and we bid Neptune goodbye. Ozpin was at the stage by this point, but I ignored his words in favor of not tripping over myself. Thankfully, my little tight-rope act across the cafeteria gave me the chance to look around, and I spotted a familiar plume of white hair on one of the balconies upstairs.

After grabbing and stowing my sweetheart in the tote bag Yang had used, I made my way to the second floor. I couldn't walk out on the balcony when I found Weiss though…

She just looked so sad, despite the moon making her freaking _glow_.

Reason did win eventually, and I opened the doors to the balcony and stepped into the cool air. "Hey, what's up Weiss? Neptune, uh, came without you and we never saw you come in."

Weiss didn't look away from the moon, the mood changing to very awkward faster than Zwei on sweets. There really wasn't much I could do except walk over and make sure she knew I was there.

Music started coming through the open doors, the DJ starting up at last, but we stayed silent. Weiss was obviously thinking about something and it wasn't my place to pry.

"I… I'm sorry, Ruby." Weiss said after what felt like hours. "I've been a terrible friend and partner these last two weeks, even when I promised to be the best. Um… it may not mean much, but will you hear me out?"

I smiled and nodded, more than willing.

Weiss looked at me with a sad smile. "I… received some news, after we started working on the Ball. As you know, I don't have the best home life, but my _dear_ father had heard I was part of this committee and would be sending someone to make sure I did things 'properly'."

Well, that would certainly get my goat. I'd heard all about Jacques Schnee and his demanding abuse towards my partner over our years of messaging, though I didn't know his name at the time. It appeared he was trying to continue his influence over Weiss even a world away.

"That included my dress, the catering, the decorations, the advertising, and even my date." Weiss continued with a long-suffering sigh. "The last one he was particularly vehement about, something relating to a proper lady's appearance in public and the company's image. Neptune's a nice guy, but as he showed today, he can be surprisingly insensitive. Wasn't even my first choice either, but the first wasn't interested."

I felt an odd stirring at that, but I had to ask. "Who did he send? I haven't seen you meeting anyone."

"Klein, the butler." Weiss answered, sinking further onto the balcony's rail. "He's one of the nice ones at least, but he's very professional. Reports were sent to my father every day, so calling me stressed is making light of it."

I nodded along, understanding perfectly. "Makes all the sense in the world, partner mine. I'm sorry for not noticing and being a pain in the neck."

"And I'm sorry for being a… bitch." Weiss mumbled, though I heard her all the same. "I should've just told you what was going on, saved the grief."

She glanced at me and frowned. "Wipe that smile off your face. I may admit it, but you said a lot of things that you know hurt."

I had and there wouldn't be a better time to reveal what I'd originally wanted to do. "Yeah… I'm really sorry for that. I was actually thinking to ask you to this dance as a peace offering, but then you asked Neptune so I thought you still… thought I was a nuisance."

"We need to work on our communication." Weiss quipped, drawing a weak giggle out of me. "Now what's that racket I hear?"

I blinked and went back inside, only to grin my widest grin. "Oh, it's Jaune keeping his word. Have to admit, lavender looks good on him."

Weiss joined me and we mutually marveled at Jaune in a dress owning the dance floor with his team while the DJ just ran with it. Everyone was cheering them on and having a great time, though it did come to an end eventually and it turned to partner dancing.

"I actually wanted to ask you first." Weiss stated with no warning or ability for me to prepare. "Really, this dance is more for flaunting teams and partners to the other schools. I have the best in our year, so I thought it only right, but Klein was very clear that my father would be most… upset if I did that."

Thankfully she was looking away and couldn't see my blush. "Well… I can't dance either, so I wouldn't be much of a partner at this thing anyway."

Weiss laughed and held out a hand. "Here, I'll teach you. Just be careful not to trample my toes or I'll seriously not speak to you until we head out tomorrow."

"You're asking a lot." I laughed weakly, though I still took her hand. "I still stumble in these shoes like a newborn deer."

Weiss raised a brow and bent down to undo her shoe straps, stepping out of them with a smile. "Then we won't wear them, at least for now. A quick and private lesson's no big deal."

"Who are you and what have you done with my partner?" I asked with as straight a face as I could muster.

Weiss smacked me with one of her discarded shoes. "Dolt. Are you going to get out of those unwieldy pumps, or do you prefer to stumble about?"

I hastily got out of the evil heels and let Weiss lead me back to the balcony. The DJ was going with a waltz, which Weiss knew incredibly well, so we started with that. Nothing more than simple steps and me trampling on her poor toes, but she wasn't _too_ biting with the criticisms this time.

It was nice, and honestly made my heart flutter in ways that just seemed right.

Then it hit me like a damn wrecking ball through a wall.

 _Holy crap… do I like girls?_

It would certainly explain a _lot_ of things if I were to be honest. I mean, Yang was comfortably lesbian, though she pretended to be bi so the guys would spoil her. It would also explain why I got so very uncomfortable and flushed when we showered after practice.

The revelation didn't have much time to revel in its spotlight before something on the rooftops caught my eye. It was a silhouette, nothing more, but it was being sneaky and heading towards the CCT tower.

"Weiss, something's heading for the tower."

My voice snapped Weiss from a daze, her eyes shooting to where I was looking. "You don't think it's one of the smaller Beasts, do you?"

"I'm not keen to leave it to chance." I answered, separating from her and opening the tote bag. As my sweetheart unfurled, Weiss gave me a flat look. "Really? Were you just going to work on that thing if I wasn't here?"

I didn't deign to answer that accusation, more focused on our new target. "Doesn't matter, we need to move. You can still use glyphs even without Myrtenaster right?"

She answered by conjuring several glyphs and we ran after the shadow. Much to our alarm, the guards around the tower were knocked out, which immediately ruled out the Beasts. Those guys killed, no exceptions, so this was another party.

Guards inside were knocked out too, and our only guess was that someone wanted access to the terminals upstairs. Guards were KO'd in the elevator too, though the weapon marks on the walls were fresh.

When we arrived at the top, we were both very wary and looking around. Our culprit was bound to be in here, I could hear the computers whirring like they'd just turned on.

"Hold it right there!"

Weiss's shout brought a woman in a form-fitting outfit into sight, a mask covering most of her face. That didn't mean squat to me, so I opened fire. She was obviously trained, so a few rounds from my sweetheart would bruise at worst.

She dodged al of them though and charged me, a flash of fire turning into twin swords. I turned the blows aside at every turn, giving wise enough time to conjure a few glyphs and box her in.

She responded with crystals of fire dust, the flames destroying Weiss's glyphs. It was enough of a distraction for her to fly in and land a punishing kick to the woman's gut, which I followed with a good smack from the stock of my sweetheart.

The woman was clearly surprised by our hits but wasn't terribly perturbed either. Before we could continue our assault, she flipped away and summoned a bow with three arrows that flew straight at us. We dodged, but the arrows exploded and obscured our view long enough that when it cleared, the woman was gone.

Weiss immediately went to the computers and worked her magic. "Ruby, keep an eye on the elevator, someone's bound to have heard the racket. I'll deep scan these computers and see if there's anything missing."

I nodded and set up watch, only for the doors to part and admit a tall man in a white suit with grey hair and a very serious look on his face.

"Uh… aren't you General Ironwood?" I sort-of asked. I mean, I recognized him from when Penny introduced him a few days ago, but what was he doing here? Wasn't he supposed to be Penny's date as her father?

"I heard a commotion here and came to investigate." He answered, gesturing to the blast marks our short fight had made. "Would you care to explain why the guards are unconscious and the main communication center of Vale is in such disarray?"

I looked to Weiss and the General before groaning. "Before we do that, can I just ask if we'll get to go back to the dance?"

Ironwood's raised brow said it all.

"Dammit, I knew I should've listened to Penny."

Ironwood's other brow rose to meet its twin. "And what does my daughter have to do with this?"

I groaned again and slinked towards Weiss. "Nothing just get your questions ready and we'll regale you with our tales. It'll be _fun!_ "

Well, as much as we could have with an upcoming interrogation. Not to mention the peeved look Ironwood sported at my less than respectful tone.

Joy.

 _Ch. End_

 **Alright ladies and gents, there's another chapter out for you to enjoy. And with it, you now know the five Elders that make up the bulk of our current antagonists and singular ally.**

 **After all, even with a unified set of species, there will always be dissenters, it's a product of free will. Now though, Mt. Glenn is going to be full of action and beasties and Zwei being a badass when he decides to arrive.**

 **All hail the corgi!**

 **Anyway, that's all I have. See you all next time!**


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